Written by Lynn Shelton and Michael Patrick O’Brien
Directed by Lynn Shelton
Starring Marc Maron, Jon Bass and Michaela Watkins
MPAA rating: R for language throughout
Running time: 1 hour and 28 minutes

by Fiona Underhill

Director Lynn Shelton is known for her collaborations with the Duplass Brothers (Humpday, Your Sister’s Sister, Outside In), as well as her film Laggies which stars Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell and Chloë Grace Moretz and is beloved by many. Comedy and improvisation have also been through-lines of Shelton’s work, with her directing numerous TV shows including Marc Maron’s TV series Maron, his Netflix special Too Real and four episodes of GLOW. Now at the age of 55, Shelton has given Maron his first starring role in Sword of Trust, as Mel, the owner of a pawn shop. He works there with his hopeless assistant Nathaniel (Jon Bass) and has regular visits from his friend Jimmy (Al Elliott) and his ex-girlfriend Dierdre (Lynn Shelton). One day, couple Cynthia (Jillian Bell, known for 22 Jump Street and Rough Night) and Mary (Michaela Watkins) come in with a sword inherited from Cynthia’s grandfather. This sparks a chain of events which leads to adventure, peril and self-discovery.