Anthony Mandler Talks ‘Surrounded’ And Passion For Westerns

Filmmaker Anthony Mandler (Monster) delivers a first rate Western with Surrounded. The story centers on Moses “Mo” Washington (Letitia Wright), a former Buffalo Soldier who is headed West to lay claim on a gold mine. Washington, a Black woman living in post-Civil War America, has her share of danger along the trip thanks to a battle of wills with an outlaw (Jamie Bell). Check out our Mandler interview below!

Surrounded possesses the perfect balance of action and character driven storytelling. A stagecoach sequence during the first act is a total showstopper, and it’s worth watching the movie simply for that scene. But there are way more elements to love in the film thanks to Wright’s magnetic performance and locked in collaboration with Jamie Bell. The ensemble includes Jeffrey Donovan, Brett Gelman and late actor Michael K. Williams.

Westerns are not a bridge too far for director Anthony Mandler. “I’m a huge fan of the genre,” said Mandler. “I actually wrote my film school paper on ‘From Shane to Unforgiven.’ So I’ve always had a great love for the classic tropes. The idea of turning those tropes inside out and adding a social context to it that really relates today – that’s what attracted me to the movie.”

Surrounded is now available On Digital everywhere. Full video interview with Mandler is below.

Audio version of the Anthony Mandler interview:

Let us know your thoughts on Surrounded once you see it!

On the latest CinemAddicts episode, we review Blue Jean, Bone Cold, and Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire:

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