Ever since we first enjoyed our first look at Kristen Stewart’s transformation into Princess Diana, director Pablo Larraín’s Spencer became a film the public has been eager to keep tabs on. Even with Netflix’s The Crown delving into such royally modern subject matter in its most recent seasons, Stewart’s performance has been an alluring factor in selling the biopic that houses it. And after seeing the first trailer for the film, it’s hard not to think that Kristen Stewart is ready to bring down the house in this tense footage from Spencer.
Focusing on a pivotal Christmas holiday amidst the crumbling marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles (Jack Farthing), Spencer sees the woman known as “The People’s Princess” navigating some rough personal waters. The results, as seen above, are nothing short of breathtaking, as Pablo Larraín’s visual style meshes perfectly with this tale of strife playing out in front of the camera, as well as outside of its view. Ending with a simple snippet of Kristen Stewart’s performance as Diana, in an emotional seaside moment, Spencer’s freshly debuted trailer packs a punch.
Fresh off Spencer studio Neon unveiling an extended reel of footage at this year’s CinemaCon, this first public look at the project is restrained in its approach. We mostly see Stewart’s Diana, as she works her way through the holiday that supposedly changes everything. Set to an evocative cover of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day,” Spencer shows Kristen Stewart practically sunken into this role, leading up to that final moment that ties it all together.
Occupying the realm of speculative historical fiction, Spencer is a story about what could have happened during this particular time in Princess Diana’s royal marriage. Much like Jackie before it, Pablo Larraín is exploring a period of grief and turmoil that helped shape history. It’s no wonder that after playing this role, Kristen Stewart has gone on record as saying she’s a hard character for her to leave behind.
To say that Spencer’s trailer is haunting would be the bare minimum, which is only more effective after looking at the film’s official poster. Feasting our eyes on the role that Kristen Stewart has put a lot of work and preparation into playing, it’s not hard to see some awards talk surrounding Spencer in the near future. Then again, the potential heartbreak in store for viewers of this picture may be the one thing that does obscure their field of vision.
Spencer debuts in theaters on November 5th, just in time to stoke the fires that rage through the rest of the box office year. But if you want to see what’s going to compete with this dramatic work, you can head to the 2021 release schedule to learn more.
