Many of us are familiar with the situation: it’s a big occasion, Christmas maybe, and the whole family are crowded around the dining table. Maybe this will be the year that we all just get along, you might think. And then someone says something about politics – and before you know it, all hell breaks loose.
This is the main premise, more or less, of The Oath, the feature-length debut from writer, director, and starring actor Ike Barinholtz. Emmy-nominated Saturday Night Live host Tiffany Haddish joins Barinholtz to portray progressive spouses at odds with their conservative family at Thanksgiving.
To add to the tension, Barinholtz’s Thanksgiving comes the day before each American is supposed to sign “The Patriot’s Oath”, pledging their loyalty to the government. Everything kicks off pretty explosively. In the trailer alone, various family members – portrayed by Portlandia’s Carrie Brownstein and SNL’s Nora Dunn, among others – are tased, held at knifepoint, and seen to wave guns around.
Backing the all-too-relevant project are Donnie Darko producer Sean McKittrick and Raymond Mansfield, who – along with McKittrick – worked on both Get Out and BlacKkKlansman.
The Oath will release October 12 in the US. Watch the trailer below.