First 'Lost River' Footage: Ryan Gosling Gets Matt Smith To Shout "Look At My Muscles!"

What the hell is going on in this first footage from Ryan Gosling's directorial debut Lost River? Difficult to say exactly, but there's a boy, and he's... distracted by what he sees, or at least what he imagines he sees. Originally called How to Catch a Monster, the film premieres soon at Cannes, and this first Lost River footage suggests that Ryan Gosling is more interested in following the path of a director such as his two-time collaborator Nicolas Winding Refn than making a big mainstream movie. (There's also influence from Derek Cianfrance, and some are going to leap right to David Lynch when talking about this, too.)

But maybe we knew that already. Lost River features Christina Hendricks as Billy, "a single mother of two who is swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town." This footage doesn't feature Hendricks, but does give us a look at her son, Bones, played by Iain De De Caestecker (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) who certainly seems lost. And the bullying muscle guy is actually Matt Smith, of Doctor Who fame. See the footage below.

Perhaps read this synopsis before watching. It might help, a little.

Set against the surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city, Billy, a single mother of two, is swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. Both Billy and Bones must dive deep into the mystery, if their family is to survive.

Not too long ago, Iain De Caestecker said the following about the film:

All I can really say is that it centers around a family. There's my character, Bones, his mother and his younger brother. There's also a girl next door played by Saoirse Ronan, called Rat. It's about this family living in a town called Lost River, which is perhaps a place that was once full of family and happiness and love, and is now this town that's slowly descending into a place without any hope. This family is holding onto the foundations of their house and everything they think they need to hold onto.

Lost River also counts Saoirse Ronan, Eva Mendes and Ben Mendelsohn among its cast. We'll have more info after the film premieres.