Master Gardener is a 2022 American crime thriller film written and directed by Paul Schrader. It follows Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton), a horticulturist for the wealthy Mrs. Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver), as he faces his violent past.
The film had its world premiere out of competition of the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2022. It was theatrically released in the United States by Magnolia Pictures on May 19, 2023, it received positive reviews.
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Plot
Narvel Roth is the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens, a beautiful estate owned by wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill. Haunted by his past, Roth finds solace in ritualistic journaling and the fine details of gardening, which he describes as "a belief in the future".
Mrs. Haverhill (with whom Roth has been having a sexual relationship) orders Roth to take on her recently orphaned grandniece, Maya, as an apprentice so that she can eventually take over the Gardens and keep it "in the family". Though she is resistant to the training, and her relationship with Mrs. Haverhill remains strained, Maya and Roth eventually grow close. When Maya is assaulted by her drug dealer, R.G., Roth has his case agent intimidate him. Maya attempts to seduce Roth, but he rebuffs her when she tries to take off his shirt (since his shirt hides tattoos that he is trying not to show). Mrs. Haverhill spies Roth leaving Maya's room, and, spurned, fires them both. Roth and Maya decide to leave together, stopping first at Maya's apartment, where she gets high one last time and Roth intimidates R.G. and his friend Sissy.
