Venice Film Festival

Latest reviews

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  Roqia

  Review preview for Roqia

  Supernatural possession is closely intertwined with the idea of radicalisation, evil jinn with distorted ideology.

  After a car crash, a man returns home to his family with his face covered in bandages, suffering from amnesia. As mysterious and threatening events accumulate, he fears that he is possessed.
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  The Last Viking

  Review preview for The Last Viking

  At times it feels as if Jensen is trying to spin too many plates at once, but in the moments when it all comes together, it’s a delight to watch.

  Black comedy about a man hunting for the spoils from a heist with his brother... who can't remember where it is buried.
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  Rose Of Nevada

  Review preview for Rose Of Nevada

  Jenkin’s style, impressionistic when it comes to places, is particular in regard to objects, the real anchors of our lives.

  A mysterious boat returns to a village 30 years after vanishing. Two men join its crew hoping for better fortune. After one voyage, they find themselves transported back in time, mistaken for the original crew.
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  The Stranger

  Review preview for The Stranger

  Ozon remains faithful to the source and keeps its sense of mystery but has strengthened the female characters

  Adaptation of Camus' classic.
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  The Wizard Of The Kremlin

  Review preview for The Wizard Of The Kremlin

  Dano has chosen to use the same flat vocal expression throughout, a technique well suited to satire which might have worked if only the rest of the film had been a bit more lively.

  Russia, early 1990s. Amid post-Soviet chaos, a brilliant young man, Vadim Baranov, charts his path. First an artist, then a reality show producer, he becomes the spin doctor to a rising KGB agent: Vladimir Putin.
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  After The Hunt

  Review preview for After The Hunt

  Guadagnino is tilting at windmills and there isn’t even any wind.

  A college professor finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star pupil levels an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light.
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  The Testament Of Ann Lee

  Review preview for The Testament Of Ann Lee

  Made with consummate care, the film stands out for its exquisite cinematography.

  An epic fable inspired by the life of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers, a radical religious movement that began in the late 1700s.
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  The Voice Of Hind Rajab

  Review preview for The Voice Of Hind Rajab

  There is some very good work here, and all of it tempered where it needs to be, to give due prominence to Hind herself.

  January 29, 2024. Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A six-year old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her.
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  No Other Choice

  Review preview for No Other Choice

  Park keeps inviting us to laugh, then forcing us to confront what, exactly, we’re laughing at.

  When a man loses his job he finds himself drifting before deciding to take things into his own hands...
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  Cotton Queen

  Review preview for Cotton Queen

  A beguiling mix of magic-realist fable, coming-of-age drama & post-colonial critique.

  In Sudan, Nafisa picks cotton and learns from her grandmother. The arrival of a young businessman, threatens to change their way of life.

A–Z of Venice Film Festival 2025 reviews →

Features

• 'We don't have nearly enough films that talk about Sudanese women'
  Suzannah Mirghani on culture and politics in Cotton Queen
• Behind the tsar
  Olivier Assayas on humanising history in The Wizard Of The Kremlin
• 'If Visconti had done it how could I possibly do it any better?'
  Ozon on the challenges of tackling Camus' masterwork The Stranger
• The dream of what could be
  David Kittredge on Exorcist 2: The Heretic, Excalibur and Boorman And The Devil
• Trial by fire
  David Kittredge on Exorcist 2: The Heretic and making Boorman And The Devil
• 'This was absolutely the most personal film for me'
  Lovisa Sirén on highlighting bond between mother and child in Without Kelly
• Mincan: I'm staying true to myself
  Director on loneliness, fear and memory in Milk Teeth
• Mixing ingredients
  Gastón Solnicki on his creative approach, Willem Dafoe and the mysteries of The Souffleur
• 'Don't stop, keep recording'
  Kabul, Between Prayers director Aboozar Amini on his filmmaking rules and the dance of documentary
• 'I like characters with edges and with flaws'
  GoT star Tom Wlaschiha on his role in Italian comedy Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't
• Teen in a trap
  Paolo Strippoli on his coming-of-age horror The Holy Boy

News

• Jarmusch takes top prize in Venice
  Kaouther Ben Hania and Safdie also among winners
• Inside Amir takes top prize at Venice Days
  Tehran drama wins, while Bearcave also celebrated
• Watch short films from Venice for free
  Festival Scope Sala Web returns with 13 world premieres
• Paolo Sorrentino's La Grazia to open Venice Film Festival
  Film starring Toni Servillo will world premiere in competition