Lizzie Borden is one of the more fascinating supposed murderers in true crime history. Accused of hacking her father and stepmother to death in their Massachusetts home in 1892, Borden was acquitted of the crimes, though no other suspects were ever apprehended. Her rumored motives have ranged from being abused to despising her father's frugal nature to believing that her stepmother was a gold digger. In the newly released trailer for the biographical thriller, Lizzie, a different theory is explored: Lizzie was motivated by forbidden love.
The trailer opens with Lizzie (Chloë Sevigny) being questioned by a police officer. He asks if Lizzie's father, Andrew Borden, had any enemies, causing Lizzie to pause. We then see a montage of events leading up to the murders, in which Lizzie is seen growing attracted to her Irish maid, Bridget Sullivan (Kristen Stewart), while also facing intense abuse from her father.
The film alleges that Lizzie wanted her father's vast fortune in order to have a life with Bridget—and it's not the first to do so. Bridget did in fact work for the Bordens, and she was in the home when the couple was hacked to death with an axe. She was allegedly the first person to see Andrew's dead body after Lizzie called out to her. Her version of events during the investigation was crucial in Lizzie's acquittal. A theory developed in the years following the murders that Lizzie's father found the two together in a compromising position. Bridget's sister even claimed that on her death bed, Bridget admitted to lying during the trial in order to help Lizzie get free.
The film, which premiered in Sundance this past January, has been Sevigny's passion project since 2010. Lizzie also stars Fiona Shaw as Abby Borden, Kim Dickens as older sister Emma Borden, and Jamey Sheridan as Andrew Borden. The film is slated for a September 14 release, and the trailer indicates that it'll be killer.
Feature still from 'Lizzie' via Powder Hound Pictures
