“I want to be one of the greats” is a dangerous phrase for a musician to utter, and in the first trailer for the upcoming-but-already-critically-acclaimed movie Whiplash, we see those words drive a young musician to the brink of destruction.

The film was an absolute hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, winning both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize with an incredible story about the struggle to achieve success and persevering through failure, alongside other intense themes in what the film’s own producers have dubbed “Full Metal Jacket at Julliard.”

Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle, the film stars young actor Miles Teller (That Awkward Moment, Project X, Divergent) as a Buddy Rich-inspired drummer fresh out of high school who is driven to the brink of destruction by his tyrannical band director (played by J. K. Simmons) shortly after enrolling at one of the best music schools in the country.

As seen in the trailer, Simmons’ character can turn from encouraging mentor to merciless tormentor in the blink of an eye, which drives Teller’s character to the edge as he desperately tries to keep his sanity under the pressure of extreme tutelage.

This movie is surely a must-watch for anyone interested in music.

‘Whiplash’ will make its theatrical début at the Toronto International Film Festival before hitting theaters nationwide on October 10.