‘Miss Stevens’ Trailer: Lily Rabe Molds Minds in SXSW Drama

“Miss Stevens” was one of the more-talked about films to emerge from this year’s edition of South by Southwest, where Lily Rabe won a Special Jury Recognition prize for her lead performance. Ahead of the drama’s release next month, the Orchard has released the film’s first trailer. Watch it below.

Rabe (“Pawn Sacrifice”) stars as a high-school English teacher who chaperones a group of students (one of whom clearly has a crush on her) to a drama competition, with Timothée Chalamet, Rob Huebel and Oscar Nuñez in supporting roles. Ellen Page was originally attached to make her directorial debut with “Miss Stevens”; when she dropped out, co-writer Julia Hart stepped in to make her own behind-the-camera debut. Hart also wrote last year’s “The Keeping Room.”

The trailer gives the impression of something akin to Hannah Fidell’s “A Teacher,” minus the terrible decision-making of every character. The Orchard is releasing “Miss Stevens” on September 16.