Serena

Serena is set in the late 1920s, when newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton arrive from Boston in the mountains of North Carolina to build a timber business. George knows the rough terrain from earlier years there; Serena is new to it but quickly adapts, taking charge of the logging operation alongside him, hunting rattlesnakes and proving she can match any of the men around her. The couple builds a profitable empire and tolerates no obstacle to their ambitions. When Serena learns she cannot have children, her jealousy fixes on the son George fathered before the marriage, and the marriage gives way to a struggle that pulls in everyone connected to them.

Susanne Bier directed the film, her sixth feature, following Brothers, After the Wedding, Things We Lost in the Fire, In a Better World and Love Is All You Need; Christopher Kyle wrote the screenplay. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence lead as the Pembertons, with Rhys Ifans, Toby Jones, Blake Ritson and Sean Harris among the credited cast of 48. It is based on Ron Rash's novel.

Released in October 2014, the film cost about 30 million dollars and returned roughly 5 million worldwide, a result that stands out against its cast and budget. On IMDb it holds 5.5 out of 10 from about 32,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.6 from just over a thousand, while the critics' rating of 4.3 from 112 reviews places it below even those modest audience scores.