Warner Bros. has unveiled a bevy of new high-resolution images fromBen Affleck’s gangster dramaLive by Night. Written, directed by, and starring Affleck, the film is based on theDennis Lehanenovel of the same name and revolves around a World War I veteran and son of a Boston police officer who decides to embrace his anti-establishment leanings and move his gangster crew down to sunny Tampa, where he seeks revenge and justice that fit his own unique code.
The film has been a long time coming, as Affleck first started developing it as his next directorial project whileArgowas still burning up the awards circuit back in 2012. He even dropped out of starring inFocusalongsideKristen Stewartto turn his attention to preppingLive by Night, but when the opportunity to work withDavid Fincherarose, he pushed his own directorial effort to star inGone Girl. Then he pushed it again to take up the cowl and play Batman, and the gangster pic was pushed one last time so Affleck could star inThe Accountant.
But the movie is finally here, and as is evident in these images, Affleck assembled a top-notch creative team.Robert Richardson(The Hateful Eight) is on cinematography duties,Jess Gonchor(True Grit) handles the production design, andJacqueline West(The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) is the film’s costume designer. And while the filmmay not be a player in the major Oscar categories, all signs point toLive by Nightpicking up notice in the below-the-line categories for this prestige craftsmanship.
I remain intrigued byLive by Night, if a little disheartened by early reactions. Affleck’s directorial efforts thus far have had a bombast to them that I’m curious to see applied to this particular period in time, and again the film at leastlooksgorgeous.
Peruse the newLive by Nightimages below. The film also starsElle Fanning,Brendan Gleeson,Chris Messina,Sienna Miller,Zoe Saldana, andChris Cooper.Live by Nightopens in limited release on December 25th and expands wide on August 02, 2025.
Here’s the official synopsis forLive by Night:
What you put out into this world will always come back to you, but it never comes back how you predict. Taking fatherly advice is not in Joe Coughlin’s nature. Instead, the WWI vet is a self-proclaimed anti-establishment outlaw, despite being the son of the Boston Police Deputy Superintendent. Joe’s not all bad, though; in fact, he’s not really bad enough for the life he’s chosen. Unlike the gangsters he refuses to work for, he has a sense of justice and an open heart, and both work against him, leaving him vulnerable time and again—in business and in love. Driven by a need to right the wrongs committed against him and those close to him, Joe heads down a risky path that goes against his upbringing and his own moral code. Leaving the cold Boston winter behind, he and his reckless crew turn up the heat in Tampa. And while revenge may taste sweeter than the molasses that infuses every drop of illegal rum he runs, Joe will learn that it comes at a price.
