Ashley Benson's New Crime Thriller Stranglehold Gets First Look [Exclusive]

Christmas movies are typically made to spread cheer, explore the meaning of the holiday, and have some jolly fun along the way. Yet, in between every all-time favorite, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Home Alone, and Elf, are more unconventional seasonal classics that are decidedly less family-friendly, like Terrifier 3, Violent Night, and the argument-inducing Die Hard. This October, Kick-Ass actor-turned-director Clark Duke is now taking his own stab at a darker Christmas feature with his black comedy crime thriller, Stranglehold. Before its arrival on digital platforms and VOD, Collider can exclusively share the official trailer, teasing a holiday heist led by Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson and The White Lotus Emmy nominee Jake Lacy that spirals horribly out of control.

Set in a small Arkansas town, Stranglehold primarily follows Bailey (Benson), a stripper who has grown tired of just scraping by and desires to be like the luxurious influencers she follows on social media. Worse, her boss refuses to let her take any extra shifts or get advance pay, leaving her extra short around Christmas while the club she works for is closed. Desperate for a change, she recruits her ex-military husband, Tim (Lacy), to help rob the joint. The hope is that they'll get in, retrieve the money, and get out without a hitch, using their ill-gotten gains to start a better life for their infant daughter and ensure that her Christmas is merry and bright. As the footage shows, though, it's not that simple.

The couple's plan is to take advantage of a private party happening while the club is shut down for the holidays. The place will be full of gangsters, and most importantly, extra cash, as everyone from around Arkansas comes to pay respects to the state's crime kingpin, Roger, played by the legendary Ron Perlman, and engage in a money laundering scheme. With Tim's army training, they feel confident they can force their way to the safe without anybody having to die, and when they finally make their move, everything goes surprisingly smoothly at first, with Roger just letting them have at the safe to avoid any trouble. Then, one of the employees pulls a shotgun, an entire force that will "not negotiate with terrorists" shows up outside armed to the teeth, and all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, everyone in the building is at risk, and Bailey and Tim's inexperience at being bad begins to show right as things get explosive.

'Stranglehold' Boasts a Star-Studded Cast and Coen Brothers-Inspired Thrills

For his follow-up to his feature debut, Arkansas, Duke took inspiration from the Coen Brothers' subversive, darkly comedic style, with actor and wrestler Ryan Nemeth previously describing it as similar to the grittiness and humor of Fargo. He teamed with his younger brother Chandler Duke and Billington Garrett to pen the screenplay in addition to directing. Another excellent cast also signed up to follow up the killer trio of Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich, and Liam Hemsworth in Duke's prior film, as well. In addition to Benson, Lacy, Perlman, and Nemeth, Stranglehold also counts Justin Long, Elle King, David Arquette, Brian Posehn, Chris Redd, and Chandler Duke among its ranks.

Stranglehold arrives on digital platforms and VOD on October 2. Check out the exclusive trailer in the player above, along with the film's poster below.