Sword of Trust


Sword of Trust is a 2019 American comedy film, directed by Lynn Shelton, from a screenplay by Shelton and Mike O'Brien. It stars Marc Maron, Jon Bass, Michaela Watkins, Tim Paul, Whitmer Thomas, Toby Huss, Dan Bakkedahl and Jillian Bell.
It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 8, 2019. It was released on July 12, 2019, by IFC Films.
It was the last film directed by Lynn Shelton before her death in May 2020.

Plot

Cynthia and Mary are a couple who show up to collect Cynthia's inheritance from her grandfather, which ends up being a sword that was believed by him to prove that the South had won the Civil War. They take the sword to a pawn shop in Birmingham, Alabama, owned by Mel, who works with his oddball assistant Nathaniel. The four of them form a partnership to arrange for the sword to be sold. They go on the road through the South while underplaying their identities, which leads them on a journey with the potential buyers.

Cast

In May 2018, it was announced Michaela Watkins, Jillian Bell, Marc Maron, Jon Bass, Toby Huss, Dan Bakkedahl, Whitmer Thomas and Timothy Paul joined the cast of the film, with Lynn Shelton writing and directing the film. Production concluded that same month.

Release

It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 8, 2019. Shortly after, IFC Films acquired distribution rights to the film. It was the opening night film at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 16, 2019. It was released on July 12, 2019.

Critical reception

Sword of Trust received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 93% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 82 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.43/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Expertly drawn characters and a strong sense of humanity make Sword of Trust an enjoyable – if a little meandering – journey." On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 70 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Marc Maron won Best Actor for Sword of Trust at the Gijón International Film Festival in 2019.