In a seaside village on the outskirts of an Italian city, where the only law seems to be survival of the fittest, Marcello is a slight, mild-mannered man who divides his days between working at his modest dog grooming salon, caring for his daughter Alida, and being coerced into the petty criminal schemes of the local bully Simoncino, an ex-boxer who terrorizes the neighborhood. When Simoncino’s abuse finally brings Marcello to a breaking point, he decides to stand up for his own dignity through an act of vengeance, with unintended consequences.

And in the first trailer for the film, we learn that film fans should definitely not sleep on “Dogman.” The film follows the titular man, Marcello, who runs a dog grooming salon. Things in Marcello’s life are going great until a local man comes to his business and drags the mild-mannered groomer into a life of crime. The film shows just how far the dog groomer will go to gain back his dignity and stand up to the bully that seems to be ruining his life.

“Dogman” is directed by Matteo Garrone, who is probably best known for his Golden Globe-nominated film “Gomorrah.” The film stars Marcello Fonte, Edoardo Pesce, Nunzia Schiano, Adamo Dionisi, Francesco Acquaroli, Alida Baldari Calabria, and Gianluca Gobbi.

“Dogman” is scheduled to hit theaters on April 12.