Taglines: You reap what you sow.
Master Gardener movie storyline. Deep within the lush grounds of Gracewood Gardens, horticulturist Narvel Roth tends to more than just plants. With a meticulous hand and unwavering devotion, he’s created an idyllic sanctuary for his demanding employer, Mrs. Haverhill. But when troubled great-niece Maya arrives seeking apprenticeship, Narvel’s perfectly cultivated life begins to unravel, unearthing secrets from a violent past that threaten to destroy everything he holds dear.
Master Gardener is a 2022 American crime thriller film written and directed by Paul Schrader and starring Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, and Quintessa Swindell. The film premiered out of competition at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2022, and was released in the United States by Magnolia Pictures on May 19, 2023.
About the Story
Narvel Roth is the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens, a beautiful estate owned by wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill, with whom he is having an affair. Unbeknownst to his team of gardeners, Roth is a former White supremacist in witness protection, having betrayed his former associates after refusing to kill a black preacher’s wife and daughter. Haunted by his past, Roth finds solace in ritualistic journaling, covering his White supremacist tattoos under gardening clothes, and the fine details of gardening, which he describes as “a belief in the future”.
Mrs. Haverhill orders Roth to take on her recently-orphaned grandniece, Maya, as an apprentice so that she can eventually take over the Gardens and keep it “in the family”. Though she is resistant to the training, and her relationship with Mrs. Haverhill remains strained, Maya and Roth eventually grow close. When Maya is assaulted by her drug dealer, R.G., Roth has his case agent intimidate him. Maya attempts to seduce Roth, but he rebuffs her when she tries to take off his shirt
Mrs. Haverhill spies Roth leaving Maya’s room, and, spurned, fires them both. Roth and Maya decide to leave together, stopping first at Maya’s apartment, where she gets high one last time and Roth intimidates R.G. and his friend Sissy. After a few days on the road, Roth begins to open up to Maya and removes his shirt in their motel room, his tattoos shocking Maya. When she confronts him about them, he insists that he’s a different man now. They have sex for the first time that night, but Maya makes Roth promise that he’ll have the tattoos removed.
Master Gardener (2023)
Directed by: Paul Schrader
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell, Esai Morales, Eduardo Losan, Victoria Hill, Amy Le, Erika Ashley, Jared Bankens, Matt Mercurio, Rick Cosnett, Bruce Mohat
Screenplay by: Paul Schrader
Production Design by: Ashley Fenton
Cinematography by: Alexander Dynan
Film Editing by: Benjamin Rodriguez Jr.
Costume Design by: Wendy Talley
Set Decoration by: Angela Gail Schroeder
Art Direction by: Christine Brandt, Katy Porter
Music by: Devonté Hynes
MPAA Rating: R for language, brief sexual content and nudity.
Distributed by: Magnolia Pictures
Release Date: September 3, 2022 (Venice), May 19, 2023 (United States)
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