The Schrader protagonist has always lived in a space of quiet reckoning. Alone in a motel room, inside a rental car, behind a garden spade—writing down the thoughts no one else dares say aloud. So it's no surprise that The Basics of Philosophy, Paul Schrader's newest film, will center on a university philosophy professor. What is surprising is the storm cloud it's being made under.
Production is reportedly underway just two months after Schrader was accused of sexual harassment by his former assistant—a timeline confirmed by The Wrap (link), though their headline quietly sidesteps what the story is really about. This isn't just another indie film shoot. It's a litmus test for how the industry—and audiences—respond when controversy and auteur ambition collide.
Still, the show goes on.
Jack Huston, perhaps best known as the disfigured sniper-turned-gangster in Boardwalk Empire, is set to lead the film alongside Star Trek Beyond's Sofia Boutella. Huston, part of Hollywood royalty—grandson of John, nephew of Anjelica—recently stepped behind the camera with Day of the Fight. Now he returns in front of it, stepping into the void once filled by Ethan Hawke (First Reformed), Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter), and Joel Edgerton (Master Gardener).
Those films form Schrader's so-called “Man in a Room” trilogy: morally troubled men in spiritual exile, scribbling in journals, always one reckoning away from implosion. If The Basics of Philosophy is cut from the same existential cloth, then Huston's casting isn't just a choice—it's a test of his gravitas. Can he carry Schrader's latest sermon? Can anyone?
Sofia Boutella adds a different kind of intrigue. A former dancer turned actress, she broke out in Kingsman: The Secret Service, but she's rarely been offered characters with philosophical weight. If Schrader's script gives her that space, it could be a breakout moment not of physical performance but emotional vulnerability.
What's still unclear is whether the film—however strong—will ever see wide U.S. distribution. Allegations of harassment, however recent and unresolved, cast a long shadow, even if financiers seem unbothered for now. That alone speaks volumes about the state of accountability in auteur-driven cinema. Schrader, who once mused that he might only have “one more film” in him, has now delivered Oh, Canada (which premiered at Cannes in 2024) and gone straight into this next project. A late-career sprint—one eye on legacy, the other on the ticking clock.
It's worth remembering that Schrader is not just a provocateur; he's one of cinema's great chroniclers of masculine guilt and spiritual rot. His films don't ask for forgiveness. They demand contemplation. But what happens when the man behind the lens becomes the object of scrutiny?
We'll find out soon enough.
Confirmed Facts Recap:
- Title: The Basics of Philosophy
- Director: Paul Schrader
- Cast: Jack Huston, Sofia Boutella
- Production reportedly began two months after harassment allegations were made against Schrader (The Wrap)
- No release or festival dates confirmed as of now
- Schrader's previous films in this thematic series include First Reformed, The Card Counter, and Master Gardener
- Oh, Canada premiered at Cannes in 2024
