Lizzie trailer: Chloe Sevigny, Kristen Stewart have an axe to grind in this re-imagined 19th-century murder story

Roadside Attractions offered a sneak peek of the psychological thriller Lizzie, starring Chloe Sevigny and Kristen Stewart, with a chilling first trailer. [caption id=“attachment_4895411” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Kristen Stewart and Chloe Sevigny in a still from Lizzie. Image via YouTube[/caption] The film centers on the true events surrounding the infamous axe murders of Lizzie Borden’s father Andrew and stepmother Abby in Massachusetts in 1892. Borden was tried and acquitted for the killings, and no one else was ever charged. The trailer teases a more unsettling reimagination of the story focusing more on the motives behind the murders. It shows the titular suspected murderess (Sevigny) deal with an emotionally (and possibly sexually) abusive father, who discovers his daughter’s secret romantic relationship with the live-in maid, Bridget Sullivan (Stewart), who is also a witness to the slayings. Written by Bryce Kass and directed by Craig William Macneil, Lizzie also stars Jay Huguley, Fiona Shaw, Jamey Sheridan, Kim Dickens, Denis O’Hare and Jeff Perry. The film had its premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January, where it received mixed reviews. While some praised Sevigny’s “ fierce performance”, others called it “ an unconvincing, oppressively somber take on the Lizzie Borden story.” The film heads to the big screen on 14 September. Watch the trailer below: