Ryan Gosling Directed A Mind-Blowing Movie: Here's Your First Look

Based on his offbeat roles, and his work in the totally underrated music duo Dead Man's Bones, we already knew that Ryan Gosling was something of an artiste. But, the exact plane on which his mind operates might not be fully revealed until we see Lost River, the actor's eagerly awaited directorial debut.

Not much is known about the film (originally called How To Catch A Monster), but after it was announced that Lost River would premiere at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard program, more information has leaked.

What we know: Mad Men's Christina Hendricks stars as a single mother who becomes entangled in a macabre underworld after her son discovers a hidden road leading to an underwater town. This fantastical premise is reflected in these just-released photos from the film, featuring Hendricks standing at the foot of an ominous looking door, and another in which, well...you be the judge.

Gosling has long been a favorite of Cannes programmers, who have displayed an extreme amount of faith in the first-time director by giving him a spot in what has become an off-kilter sidebar to the main competition. Actors-turned-directors are usually met with furrowed brows, especially the unproven ones. That Gosling was let into a rather exclusive club right off the bat speaks volumes about his reputation as something more than just a heartthrob.

That, or the Cannes brass is like the rest of us and just really want to see him in a tux.

Click through for more Lost River weirdness.