Multiple lives intersect in the aftermath of the violent mugging of a Columbia University philosophy professor.
Acting
Kristen Stewart's small role hits harder than most leads.
Writing
Tim Blake Nelson wrote this? The guy from O Brother?
Editing
Jagged puzzle pieces that finally click — devastatingly.
Director
Tim Blake Nelson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Tim Blake Nelson wrote this between acting gigs, inspired by witnessing a mugging in Morningside Heights. The barista character was based on someone real who remembered his coffee order for years.
The title refers to emotional anesthesia — how we numb ourselves to others' pain. Nelson deliberately structured it like a philosophy thesis: each character embodies a different ethical framework (utilitarianism, virtue ethics, nihilism).
US
