Paul Schrader's latest film, 'The Basics of Philosophy', has been reviewed at the Venice Film Festival, with critics noting it as his most successful picture since 'First Reformed' in 2018. The film is described as a characteristic Schrader exploration of masculinity, focusing on a man grappling with moral choices and ethical conduct.
Jack Huston stars as John Jorrisen, a philosophy professor at a liberal arts college, who is working on a book about Spinoza. His agreeable mid-career success is disrupted when a figure from his past, Miguel Vasque (Daniel Zovatto), appears at his father's funeral. This encounter forces John to confront a past act of sexual abuse against Miguel when Miguel was a teenager, which his father had covered up.
The film delves into John's internal struggle as he re-evaluates his self-image and grapples with the possibility that change might be impossible. Richard Gere plays a genial dean in a cameo, and Bill Pullman appears in flashbacks as John's wealthy, overbearing father, Melvyn.