Searching for inspiration for her next novel, Elise subtly manipulates the people closest to her like characters in a book. The sudden return of an old friend challenges just how far she’s willing to go in pursuit of her art.

Elise Keller (Alison Brie) is a successful writer working on what will hopefully be her next best-selling novel. Only one problem: She’s stuck with a bad case of writer’s block. When her long-time friend John (André Holland) returns to their hometown, Elise thinks she has a perfect solution: John can look after her husband Jacob’s (Tom Sturridge) aging father David (Dustin Hoffman) and record their conversations for potential inspiration. But as individual relationships deepen and the line between fiction and reality blurs, secrets are unearthed, boundaries are crossed, and the foursome finds themselves forever changed.

For his debut narrative feature film, Alex Vlack incisively explores the complexities of the creative process and the lengths an artist is willing to go in pursuit of greatness. Aided by a sublime cast and an anxiety-inducing score from composer Philip Klein, The Revisionist is a sleek and sophisticated peak into the mind of an artist on the edge.—Cara Cusumano