We Live in Time is being pitched as a heartbreaking romcom about love, tragedy, and beautiful, charming people with British accents. Also this yellow horse from a merry-go-round that appears to be part of a savvy online marketing campaign for the upcoming movie.
Here’s what happened. Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh presented an award at the 2023 Oscars. Shortly after, it was revealed that they were starring in a new indie romcom together. Last month, a trailer for We Live in Time was released that revealed a quirky, intimate love story racked by mysterious tragedy that might have something to do with a life-threatening disease, failed pregnancy, weird sci-fi time loops, or all three.
But no one was really paying attention until today when a no-name Twitter account suspiciously created last month seemingly dropped a previously unreleased promo shot for the movie featuring a laughing Pugh, a smiling Garfield, and an absolutely unhinged merry-go-round horse. It was a recipe for engagement and it worked. A meme factory was born. Even video game companies tried to draft off the nightmare fuel:
And it’s worked. Before today I had no idea what this movie was called, let alone what it was about. Now I am 100 percent going to watch the next trailer for it, not to find out the mystery haunting Pugh and Garfield’s ill-fated romance but for another glimpse of this mustard-yellow hellbeast to make sure it actually exists and made it into the final cut of the movie.
We Live in Time is premiering at the Toronto Film Festival next month before coming to theaters in wide release on October 11, 2024. It’s directed by John Crowley, who real heads know for the off-beat Irish dark comedy Intermission.