“The mayhem of the artistic process is often mined for story inspiration, but in Black Bear, director/writer Lawrence Michael Levine and star Aubrey Plaza offer a fresh and thrilling take on the artist/muse dynamic. Formally bold and unrelentingly tense, the chaos of the story is anchored (and abetted) by an electric, perfectly calibrated performance from Plaza, playing both muse and manipulator. Lawrence’s masterful command of atmosphere and pacing create an emotional powder keg that will keep you guessing until the very end.“ —Saidah Russell, Film Programmer

Black Bear is an intriguing and unexpected comedic thriller starring Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, and Sarah Gadon. At a remote lake house in the Adirondack Mountains, a couple entertains an out-of-town guest (Plaza) looking for inspiration in her filmmaking. The group quickly falls into a calculated game of desire, manipulation, and jealousy, unaware of how dangerously intertwined their lives will soon become. Written and directed by Lawrence Michael Levine, the writer behind the equally mind-bending Sophia Takal film Always Shine.