The first trailer for Strange Way of Life, a new gay western starring Pedro Pascal, dropped on Wednesday, April 26, ahead of the production’s 2023 Cannes Film Festival debut next month. Pascal stars alongside Ethan Hawke in the Pedro Almodóvar-directed short film, where the two play former lovers who are reunited decades after their initial love affair.
“A man rides a horse across the desert that separates him from Bitter Creek. He comes to visit Sheriff Jake. Twenty-five years earlier, both the sheriff and Silva, the rancher who rode out to meet him, worked together as hired gunmen,” the official synopsis reads.
“Silva visits him with the excuse of reuniting with his friend from his youth, and they do indeed celebrate their meeting, but the next morning Sheriff Jake tells him that the reason for his trip is not to go down the memory lane of their old friendship…”
gay old men: yes!!!
gay old men who are cowboys: YES!!!!!
gay old men who are cowboys played by pedro pascal and ethan hawke: YYEEESSSSSSSSS pic.twitter.com/2hTtDwQpdI— aquila ? (@belllmonts) April 26, 2023
The whirlwind romance between Silva (Pascal) and Jake(Hawke) is heavily featured in the new trailer, with plenty of steamy dancing, passion and even some hair-pulling.
The clip also leans into some of the more dramatic moments of the upcoming short film, including a snippet where Silva tells Sheriff Jake, “You never loved me. You never loved anyone in your life.” After which, Sheriff Jake can be seen pulling a gun on his ex-lover, rebuking him.
The end of the trailer sees Pascal’s Silva tell Hawke’s Sheriff Jake, “Years ago, you asked me what two men could do living together on a ranch. I’ll answer you now.”
“if you’re excited for pedro pascal and ethan hawke’s queer western short film: strange way of life, make some noise!”
me: pic.twitter.com/Q5CVIg9dQj
— kit? (@leia_romanova) April 26, 2023
According to the film’s director Pedro Almodóvar, Strange Way of Life is his answer to Brokeback Mountain.
Almodóvar similarly revealed that the film’s title “alludes to the famous fado by Amalia Rodrigues, whose lyrics suggest that there is no stranger existence than the one that is lived by turning your back on your own desires.”
Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke are joined in the short film by an all-star cast, including Elite’s Manu Rios, José Condessa, Jason Fernández, Sara Sálama, Erenice Lohan, Pedro Casablan and George Steane.
Watch the trailer below:
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