Prepare for a cinematic experience that will linger long after the credits roll as Eric Larue arrives in theaters on April 4, 2025. This deeply affecting drama, adapted from Brett Neveu’s acclaimed play, marks the directorial debut of Michael Shannon and features an extraordinary ensemble cast delivering powerhouse performances. The film explores the devastating aftermath of a school shooting through the eyes of a grieving mother, offering an unflinching yet compassionate look at trauma, forgiveness, and the impossible road to healing.
With its intimate storytelling and remarkable performances, Eric Larue transcends its difficult subject matter to become a profound meditation on human resilience. The film’s deliberate pacing and stark emotional honesty create an atmosphere that’s both unsettling and cathartic, anchored by Judy Greer’s career-defining performance. This is not just another “issue movie” – it’s a masterclass in restrained, character-driven drama that will spark important conversations about accountability, redemption, and the fragility of community.
Eric Larue: Cast Lineup
1- Judy Greer as Janice LaRue
Judy Greer delivers the performance of her career as Janice LaRue, a mother grappling with unimaginable loss and societal judgment. Known primarily for comedic roles (Archer, Ant-Man), Greer reveals astonishing dramatic depth as a woman torn between maternal grief and moral responsibility. Her portrayal captures every nuance of Janice’s journey – from numb shock to simmering rage to tentative reconciliation – with heartbreaking authenticity.
Greer’s masterful performance is all in the details: the tremor in her hands during difficult conversations, the way her voice cracks when speaking her son’s name, the hollow look in her eyes that suggests a soul permanently fractured. This is awards-worthy work that redefines Greer as one of our most versatile actors, capable of conveying oceans of pain with the slightest facial tic or hesitation.
2- Paul Sparks as Steve Calhan
Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire, The Night Of) brings quiet intensity to Steve Calhan, father of one of Eric Larue’s victims. Sparks excels at portraying men who conceal volcanic emotions beneath placid surfaces, and his Steve is a masterpiece of repressed fury and sorrow. The actor’s scenes with Greer are electric with unspoken accusations and shared anguish.
What makes Sparks’ performance remarkable is how he suggests Steve’s moral complexity – this isn’t a straightforward “angry dad” archetype, but a deeply conflicted man wrestling with his own capacity for forgiveness. His climactic confrontation with Alexander Skarsgård’s character is one of the film’s most devastating sequences.
3- Alexander Skarsgård as Ron LaRue
Alexander Skarsgård (Succession, The Northman) disappears into the role of Ron LaRue, Eric’s emotionally stunted father. Skarsgård trades his usual magnetic charisma for a shrunken, defeated physicality – his Ron is a man utterly unequipped to handle this tragedy or support his crumbling wife. The actor’s deliberate withdrawal creates a haunting presence; you can feel the weight of his guilt and inadequacy in every slumped shoulder.
Skarsskård’s most brilliant choice is playing Ron not as a villain, but as a weak man paralyzed by shame. His inability to articulate his feelings becomes its own form of violence against Janice, creating marital tension that’s more devastating than any shouting match could be.
4- Alison Pill as Lisa Graff
Alison Pill (The Newsroom, Devs) delivers subtle brilliance as Lisa Graff, a church counselor attempting to facilitate healing between the families. Pill masterfully walks a tightrope – her Lisa is neither saintly nor cynical, but a flawed woman trying (and sometimes failing) to bridge unbridgeable gaps. The way her professional composure occasionally fractures reveals volumes about secondary trauma.
Pill shares extraordinary scenes with both Greer and Sparks, serving as the emotional conduit between these grieving parties. Her character’s gradual realization that some wounds may never heal provides the film’s most quietly shattering moments.
5- David Pasquesi as Documentary Narrator
David Pasquesi (Veep, The Dark Knight) provides the film’s unsettling Greek chorus as the Documentary Narrator, his warm, trustworthy voice juxtaposed against harrowing visuals. The actor’s background in improv comedy makes his dead-serious delivery all the more effective – this could have been a gimmicky device, but Pasquesi’s restrained performance makes it feel organic and haunting.
His narration grows increasingly interrogative as the film progresses, subtly shifting from objective reporter to moral questioner. The genius lies in how Pasquesi makes us question whether we’re hearing an actual documentary or Janice’s guilty conscience given voice.
The Teen Ensemble
The film’s young actors – Shea Pritchard, Jalen Michael Black, Jaylee Kennedy, and Jacob Alexander – deliver remarkably naturalistic performances that avoid sensationalism. As surviving students and community members, they represent the ripple effects of trauma with heartbreaking authenticity.
Particularly noteworthy is Jacob Alexander as Brad Gilbert, whose brief but pivotal scenes suggest entire unseen dimensions to the tragedy. These young performers handle the material with maturity beyond their years, creating moments of unexpected grace amid the darkness.
6- Mierka Girten as Sheila Guffy
Mierka “Mookie” Girten (The Beta Test, Somewhere Quiet) nearly steals the film as Sheila Guffy, a brash church member whose toxic positivity masks deep-seated judgment. Girten walks a razor’s edge – her Sheila is infuriating yet darkly comic, the kind of well-meaning but clueless figure who makes grief even more isolating.
Her scenes with Greer are masterclasses in passive-aggressive tension, with Sheila’s relentless optimism becoming its own form of cruelty. Girten makes this supporting character feel fully realized in just a few scenes.
7- A Cinematic Experience That Demands Reflection
Eric Larue isn’t an easy watch, but it’s an essential one – the kind of film that holds up a mirror to societal failings while honoring the complexity of personal grief. When it opens in theaters on April 4, 2025, it will undoubtedly spark difficult but necessary conversations about violence, forgiveness, and what it means to truly heal.
With its impeccable cast operating at peak performance levels and Michael Shannon’s assured direction, this is cinema at its most morally engaged and emotionally raw. Be prepared to sit with this one long after you leave the theater.
