First look at Dan Levy and Luke Evans in ‘vulnerable’ gay drama Good Grief
Dan Levy has shared the true story behind the sex toy story in Netflix’s Good Grief. (Netflix)
Netflix dropped the trailer Dan Levy’s “very vulnerable” directorial debut Good Grief, in which he stars opposite Luke Evans.
The original screenplay, written and directed by the Schitt’s Creek actor, arrives on the streaming platform on 5 January. The plot follows Marc (Levy), a house-husband forced to face his difficult past and irrevocably changed future after the sudden death of his “larger-than-life” partner, Oliver (Evans).
When Marc’s world shatters, his best friends, Thomas (Himesh Patel) and Sophie (Ruth Negga), rally around him as the three embark on a “soul-searching” trip to Paris which “reveals some hard but tender truths they each needed to face.”
Good Grief‘s trailer and first look images share a snapshot of what to expect for Levy’s feature debut.
One image captures an intimate moment between Marc and Oliver as they both lean in for a kiss. Another still shows Marc, Sophie and Thomas at a celebration. We also get a portrait of Sophie looking off into the distance and a devastated-looking Marc looking into the mirror. Finally, there is a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Levy in director mode.
Speaking exclusively to PinkNews, Levy shared his excitement (and reservations) about putting Good Grief out into the world. “Coming out of Schitt’s Creek, I knew that I wanted the next thing I made to be about friendship. It’s very vulnerable and it means a lot to me,” he said.
“Anytime you put something out into the world you’re trembling with both nerves and excitement. I’m very proud of it. I’m excited for people to see it. You just want to make the movie as good as it can possibly be.”
In a press statement, Levy opened up about the personal inspiration behind the film, which came during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“Specifically, it was the Christmas after my grandmother passed away,” he shared. “The suddenness of her death came as a shock to us all, but it wasn’t until a few months had passed that I really began to feel the void of her absence. I wondered why it took so long to hit me.”
Levy decided to explore the strangeness of grief through the medium of film. “I think there’s beauty in loss. It can inspire. In my case, it allowed me to excavate a story and explore a genre I might have never had the courage to pursue otherwise,” he added.
“I wrote down what I was feeling as a gay man in his thirties, leaning heavily on my found family of friends for help detangling that knot of feelings.”
Good Grief starring Dan Levy and Luke Evans arrives on Netflix on 5 January, 2024.
