Sean lives a harsh but successful life as a criminal in Los Angeles's rough suburbs. He has, in spite of a chaotic and violent childhood, created some order in his life. As long as order is maintained, he - along with his partner in crime Peter - can ensure that his criminal life does not fall apart. But like in any Greek tragedy, things are doomed to go wrong when he one day falls in love with the waitress Lilly. Sean thinks he can bring order to her life too, but the all-consuming heroin addiction can not be tamed so easily.
Acting
McCall's controlled descent into obsession.
Direction
Thomsen's actor-turned-director eye for intimate despair.
Cinematography
LA's ugly-beautiful margins rarely shot this honestly.
Director
Ulrich Thomsen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ulrich Thomsen's directorial debut after two decades as a respected character actor, including villain roles in The World Is Not Enough and The Celebration.
The title's dual meaning—embryo as beginning and 'in embryo' as unrealized—mirrors Sean's doomed attempt to nurture a relationship built on mutual destruction.
DK
US
