Carmen Teaser Trailer: Melissa Barrera & Paul Mescal Lead Musical Drama

Sony Pictures Classics has released the official Carmen teaser trailer for the upcoming musical drama, featuring rising stars Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal, the latter of which recently earned his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and is scheduled for a theatrical release sometime this year.

The video features two strangers who are both running away from their own dark past. They seek solace and refuge at a club, where they soon find themselves falling in love for each other.

Check out the official Carmen teaser trailer below:

Described as a gritty modern day tale, Carmen is directed by Benjamin Millepied from a screenplay he co-wrote with Alexander Dinelaris and Loïc Barrère. The film stars Melissa Barrera (Vida, Scream) as Carmen, Paul Mescal (Normal People, Aftersun) as Aidan, and Rossy de Palma (Parallel Mothers) as Masilda.

“The story follows a young and fiercely independent woman who is forced to flee her home in the Mexican desert following the brutal murder of her mother, another strong and mysterious woman,” reads the synopsis. “Carmen survives a terrifying and dangerous illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard who cold-bloodedly murders two other immigrants in her group.

“When the border guard and his patrol partner, Aidan — a Marine with PTSD — become embroiled in a deadly standoff, Carmen and Aidan are forced to escape together. They make their way north toward Los Angeles in search of Carmen’s mother’s best friend, the mercurial Masilda and owner of La Sombra nightclub — a sanctuary of music and dance. Carmen and Aidan find both solace and their unwavering love for each other in the safety of Masilda’s magical refuge, but time is running out as the police hunt closes in.”

The film is produced by Dimitri Rassam, Rosemary Blight, and Mimi Valdes. Composer Nicholas Britell had also signed onto the project to score the film’s dream-like dance sequences that evoke magic realism.