Last week, when the first poster for Tom Hardy’s latest thriller Child 44 hit, we predicted that the trailer wouldn’t be far behind. Lo and behold, just a week later, here is that first proper glimpse at the film, arriving via Apple.
Adapted from the first of a book trilogy by Tom Rob Smith, Child 44 finds Soviet police officer Hardy investigating a serial killer who is targeting children. But as he digs deeper into the case, his own government – which refuses to even acknowledge the idea that murder could happen under their watch – begins to suspect him of treason, which only intensifies when a colleague frames him. Noomi Rapace is playing his conflicted wife and Gary Oldman is the chief of police eventually assigned to who investigates the case further – and Hardy’s motives at the same time.
Safe House director Daniel Espinosa is behind this one, working up a tale of paranoia, treachery and crime that is loosely based on real events. With Richard Price handling script chores and Joel Kinnaman, Charles Dance, Vincent Cassel, Tara Fitzgerald, Paddy Considine and Fares Fares all helping to bolster the impressive cast, Child 44 will be out here on April 17.