A Return to Roots: Hartley Explores Generational Trauma in Directorial Sophomore Effort
After years of conquering television and exploring action roles, Justin Hartley is stepping into deeply personal territory with Glass Orchard, his second directorial project. Unlike the thrillers and sci-fi roles that have defined much of his recent career, Glass Orchard is a quiet, emotionally layered family drama set in rural upstate New York.
The film tells the story of Luke Harrow (played by Hartley), a divorced single father and former teacher who returns to his family’s struggling apple orchard after his mother suffers a stroke. There, he must navigate the emotional wreckage left by a volatile relationship with his estranged father, played by veteran actor Sam Shepard in one of his final filmed performances (utilizing previously unreleased footage with AI-assisted completion). As Luke attempts to care for his ailing mother and reconnect with his teenage daughter, he uncovers long-buried secrets that challenge his sense of identity, legacy, and forgiveness.
Written by first-time screenwriter Ellie Carmichael, Glass Orchard is a meditation on inherited trauma and the struggle to break familial cycles. The story unfolds across the seasons, using the orchard itself as a metaphor for growth, decay, and the patience required for both.
“This is a film about the things we leave unsaid for too long,” Hartley told IndieWire. “I wanted to direct something that doesn’t rush to solve its problems, but lets them sit, breathe, and slowly unravel.”
Shot on 16mm film in the Hudson Valley during peak autumn, the movie has a textured, naturalistic visual style. Cinematographer Charlotte Bruhn (Leave No Trace) captures the orchard in various states of bloom and barrenness, paralleling the Harrow family’s inner lives. Composer Nicholas Britell, known for his work on Succession and Moonlight, contributes a sparse, piano-driven score that underscores the film’s emotional depth.
The supporting cast includes Carrie Coon as Luke’s sister Margaret, a pragmatic lawyer with her own complicated feelings about their upbringing; and Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things) as Nate, a farmhand with a mysterious connection to the land.
Glass Orchard is not aimed at mass-market appeal but is expected to make a strong impression on the indie circuit. The film will premiere at Telluride in fall 2026, followed by a limited theatrical run through A24. Early viewers describe it as “heartbreaking, hopeful, and unflinchingly honest.”
With Glass Orchard, Justin Hartley continues to surprise and expand as an artist—balancing television success, genre innovation, and now, a voice in thoughtful, original cinema. If his goal is to leave behind a legacy larger than fame, this might be the film that defines it.
