Trailer: Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke Get Close in the Old West in 'Strange Way of Life'

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | April 26, 2023 |

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | April 26, 2023 |

A new Pedro Almodovar film is always cause for celebration, especially when it’s a rare foray into the world of English language cinema. He’s riding into the Old West with his newest short film, Strange Way of Life, and he’s bringing Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal along for the journey. The first trailer gave us a glimpse of the action, the drama, and the heat!

The official synopsis from the distributor, Pathe:

‘A man rides a horse across the desert that separates him from Bitter Creek. He comes to visit Sheriff Jake. Twenty-five years earlier, both the sheriff and Silva, the rancher who rides out to meet him, worked together as hired gunmen. Silva visits him with the excuse of reuniting with his friend from his youth, and they do indeed celebrate their meeting, but the next morning Sheriff Jake tells him that the reason for his trip is not to go down the memory lane of their old friendship…’

Admit it, you’re excited. It’s a gay Western by one of the best filmmakers working today, starring the daddy du jour. The trailer suggests a somewhat old-school Hollywood tone, akin to something like Johnny Guitar more than a John Wayne Western. Almodovar has always embraced soapy elements in his storytelling, and this seems like no exception. This is also an interesting focus on masculinity from one of our time’s most beloved women’s stories directors. It’s rare to see a short film get any kind of major theatrical rollout, so it will be interesting to see how many people are willing to pay full cinema prices for a 30-minute piece. I’m in. I happily handed over my money for Almodovar’s other short, The Human Voice.

Strange Way of Life will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this May. It will be distributed by MUBI in Italy and Latin America, and in the UK under Pathé. Stay tuned for further distribution news.

The official poster for ‘Strange Way of Life’ starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke has been released. pic.twitter.com/fHxo3vf7Cp

— Pedro Pascal Daily (@pascalarchive) April 11, 2023