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We’re seeing another side of Oscar winner Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Other Mommy) in Netflix’s upcoming thriller: a country singer on the hunt for her missing niece.
The Heartland, from director Shana Feste (Country Strong) premieres on November 13 and centers on Misty Jones (Chastain), a famous country music star who is stepping back into the limelight after her niece and fellow country singer Charlie Heart goes missing.
According to the actress herself, Misty is not a particularly nice person. Rather, she’s a recluse who has tender moments but can change on a dime.
“She's not interested in being liked. And I love women like that on screen because I don't think we get to see them that often,” Chastain tells Tudum. “Underneath the noir and the mystery, Shana [Feste] was making a film about women reclaiming authorship of their own lives.”
Feste says she wanted to create something truthful but incredibly fun to watch with elements of suspense, country music and a character you can root for but doesn’t fit into the usual mold.
“I thought, ‘OK, what if I write this really complicated, messy, badass woman, Misty, and I set her in this world of country music?’” she recalls. “And instead of doing a drama like Country Strong, I lean into the film noir and create a mystery?’”
Through the show, Misty works her way through suspects, from Charlie’s boyfriend, Jace (Ross Lynch), to her manager, Roy Combs (Garrett Hedlund, Country Strong).
Charlie is played by real-life rising country star Carter Faith, who recorded new music for the film’s original soundtrack. Chastain also sang for the film, as she did for her Academy Award–winning role as Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye and her Emmy-nominated performance as Tammy Wynette in the series George & Tammy.
You can watch the trailer for Heartland here:
You can hear Chastain sing as Misty with fellow country singer Winnie Jo Lean (Jennifer Nettles) in the film’s title song, “Heartland,” in the trailer or you can stream it here. The soundtrack features original performances by the cast, along with songs by Margo Price, Carly Pearce, Eddy Dunlap, Channing Wilson and Dave “Fergie” Ferguson.
Chastain says there’s something about playing a country singer in particular.
“Country music is about telling a story,” Chastain says. “It's about someone leaving you, someone dying, they're drinking too much, wanting someone that you shouldn't want …. apparently I just really like women with big hair and complicated lives.”
Catch the film when it premieres on Netflix on November 13 and get ready to have a new soundtrack to listen to.