JT LeRoy

Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern's towering tall story hoaxes the world.

Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy's survived childhood abuse and emerged into sex work only to bloom into a brilliant, acclaimed writer. It reads like fiction – because it is. Laura Albert (Laura Dern) invented the whole thing, which proves problematic when JT gets famous. The solution: get sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (Kristen Stewart) to pose as him, launching a complex hoax that would hoodwink many.

In his thrilling exploration of media scrutiny, gender fluidity and personal authenticity, director Justin Kelly (I Am Michael) has crafted a work as wry and provocative as its unlikely subject matter deserves. And for a film all about the nature of performance, it is only fitting that both Stewart and Dern deliver career-best turns as the duo who deceived a generation.