Quiver Distribution’s The Wheel was a sensation at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, garnering rave reviews from critics, with it currently sitting at a 96% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes. The story centers around a young couple on the brink of divorce. As a last, desperate attempt to save their marriage, they decide to rent a cabin and talk out all their issues over the weekend. Collider is excited to exclusively debut the trailer for the drama, which debuts on Premium Video On Demand on July 22.
The trailer reveals that Albee (Amber Midthunder) and Walker (Taylor Gray) are willing to do whatever it takes so that their weekend can be the “make it or break it” of their relationship – which includes recurring to a book that theoretically has seven questions you can ask your partner and save your marriage if all are answered truthfully. As they try to figure out what went wrong, one element of their dating life stands out: They were high school sweethearts and obviously changed a lot over the years, which has an impact on any relationship.
Of course, drawing out every single issue of an entire marriage is no easy feat, and the trailer reveals that not only do the arguments get ugly, but also another couple ends up getting hit on the crossfire: Newly engaged Ben (Nelson Lee) and Carly (Bethany Anne Lind) are the cabin owners who rented it via Airbnb, and when they decide to hang out with Albee and Walker, they start questioning their own relationship. Someone call Taylor Swift to write a song about this!
The screenplay is by Trent Atkinson, who makes his feature film debut after writing a slate of short films and penning TV episodes, including several from Home and Away.
The Wheel is directed by Steve Pink, who did a 180-turn tone-wise in his career: The BAFTA nominee previously helmed comedies like Accepted and both Hot Tube Time Machines. He also directed several episodes of comedy series such as Childrens Hospital, Angie Tribeca, Telenovela, and most recently, Santa Clarita Diet. Pink also co-wrote the screenplay for the modern classic High Fidelity. The Wheel feels like a raw and intimate project, the kind that creators just have to get out of their system – and the ones that normally the public relates to the most.
The Wheel will premiere on July 22. Watch the trailer below:
