venice film festival reviews
‘Comandante’ Review: Visceral Italian Naval Drama Wrecked by Its Own Worthiness
Pierfrancesco Favino stars in writer-director Edoardo De Angelis’ Venice opener, a true story of an Italian submarine captain who defied orders so he could save lives.
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‘The Listener’ Review: Tessa Thompson Anchors Steve Buscemi’s Sparse Study of a Crisis Hotline
Rebecca Hall and Margaret Cho voice some of the troubled souls who call in to speak to a helpline worker in this film premiering in Venice.
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‘Beyond the Wall’ Review: A Powerful, Twisty Drama About Iranian State Repression
Vahid Jalilvand's film revolving around a suicidal blind man and a runaway mother is one of two Iranian works in Venice competition, alongside Jafar Panahi's 'No Bears.'
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‘Dreamin’ Wild’ Review: Casey Affleck Stars in a Story of Musical Ambition That Hits a Lot of the Right Notes
Playing out of competition in Venice, the new film from Bill Pohlad ('Love & Mercy') also stars Walton Goggins, Zooey Deschanel and Beau Bridges in a fact-based drama about two musician brothers.
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‘Dead for a Dollar’ Review: Walter Hill Delivers a Lively Western With Christoph Waltz and Rachel Brosnahan
Playing out of competition on the Lido, the 80-year-old action veteran's film also features Willem Dafoe, Warren Burke, Brandon Scott and Benjamin Bratt.
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‘The Eternal Daughter’ Review: A Double Dose of Tilda Swinton in Joanna Hogg’s Partly Effective Stylistic Swerve
Swinton plays both mother and daughter in what is effectively a third episode in the 'Souvenir' series, competing for the top Venice prize.
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‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ Review: Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson Reunite with Martin McDonagh in Vintage Form
Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan also star in this dark comedy premiering in the Venice competition, about the abrupt breakup of lifelong friends, sparking violence, suffering and self-reflection.
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‘L’Immensita’ Review: Penelope Cruz Wows Again in Turbulent Italian Family Drama
Premiering in Venice competition, Italian director Emanuele Crialese’s deeply autobiographical work also explores a trans boy's first recognition of his gender dysphoria.
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‘A Couple’ Review: Frederick Wiseman’s Pungent Foray into Fiction
Wiseman, best known for his documentaries, offers the Venice competition a rare scripted work with Nathalie Boutefeu playing Sophia Tolstoy.
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‘Athena’ Review: Director Romain Gavras Ignites the Paris Projects with Technical Virtuosity
Romain Gavras' Netflix thriller chronicles the conflict that rips apart three brothers when video circulates of their youngest sibling apparently being killed by cops, sparking a riot in the Paris projects.
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‘Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths’ Review: Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Meandering Return to Mexico
Oscar winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns to Mexico for this deep dive into his own past and the collective past of his country, weighing his celebrated artistic profile against the intimate rewards of family.
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‘Tár’ Review: Cate Blanchett Astounds in Todd Field’s Blistering Character Study
Cate Blanchett plays a celebrated composer-conductor whose reputation is suddenly shattered by revelations of her personal life in Todd Field's caustic dissection of power dynamics.
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