Bucking Fastard
| Bucking Fastard | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Werner Herzog |
| Written by | Werner Herzog |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Peter Zeitlinger |
| Edited by | Marco Capalbo |
| Music by | Ernst Reijseger |
Production companies |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | English |
Bucking Fastard is a 2026 drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog, and loosely based on the lives of Freda and Greta Chaplin. It stars Kate and Rooney Mara as the twin sisters Jean and Joan Holbrooke, alongside Orlando Bloom and Domhnall Gleeson in supporting roles.[1]
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2026, where it will compete for the Golden Lion.[2]
Premise
[edit]Twin sisters Jean and Joan Holbrooke, in search of an imaginary land where true love is possible, start digging a tunnel through a mountain range.[3]
Cast
[edit]- Kate Mara as Jean Holbrooke
- Rooney Mara as Joan Holbrooke
- Orlando Bloom as Gareth Mulroney
- Domhnall Gleeson as Timothy
- Hugh O'Conor
Production
[edit]Referring to unrealized projects in his 1991 series Filmstunde[4] and again in his 2022 memoir Every Man for Himself and God Against All, Werner Herzog mentioned a concept entitled Bucking Fastard about British identical twin sisters Freda and Greta Chaplin, who gained notoriety in the 1980s for having a restraining order put on them by a man they both became involved with. The title refers to a synchronized verbal slip the sisters made in court.[5]
In February 2025, it was announced that Herzog would make a film under the same name based on a true story about twins Joan and Jean, with real-life siblings Kate and Rooney Mara on board to star in what would be their first project together.[6] Speaking about working with her sister for the first time, Kate said: "We've been looking for something to do together for a while. The first hurdle was finding a filmmaker that we both like, and while we like a lot of the same things, we both had an equal excitement about working with Werner. We're playing total equals who speak in unison and do everything the same. They dream the same in the film, and they're so in sync. We could have never imagined finding two roles in a film where we're literally equals in so many ways, and it was just so perfect."[7]
Principal photography took place in Ireland at Dublin's Pigeon House film studios and in and around the town of Naas, County Kildare; the Mara sisters were spotted during shooting on Dublin's Capel Street in early April, with additional scenes set to be filmed in Slovenia.[8] Filming wrapped by the end of the month,[9] with Orlando Bloom and Domhnall Gleeson being revealed as part of the cast. Herzog reunited with various collaborators, including cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger, editor Marco Capalbo, and composer Ernst Reijseger.[3]
Release
[edit]In May 2026, Variety reported that the film was offered a world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the non-competitive official selection lineup, but this proposal was rejected because the film was not offered a competition slot.[10]
It had its world premiere in the main competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2026,[2] and its North American premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival.[11] It was also selected for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival[12] and the Spotlight Gala section of the 2026 New York Film Festival.[13]
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 24 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.40/10.[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film 2 out of 5 stars, stating that it "systematically wastes the audience's time, as well as the talents of its formidable female leads".[16]
Jessica Kiang of Variety summed up the film as "occasionally sublime, often ridiculous and always extravagantly weird".[17]
Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire gave the film a 'B+' score, concluding that the "wryly funny, touchingly eccentric, and uncompromisingly batshit feature" would "enchant and dismay in likely equivalent proportions".[18]
References
[edit]- ↑ Rose, Steve (September 2, 2026). "The year of Domhnall Gleeson: 'No one talks about actors' dedication. But I had a perm for five months!'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 2, 2026.
- 1 2 "Biennale Cinema 2026 | Bucking Fastard". La Biennale di Venezia. June 29, 2026. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- 1 2 Wiseman, Andreas (April 28, 2025). "Orlando Bloom & Domhnall Gleeson Join Kate & Rooney Mara In Bucking Fastard With HanWay Boarding For Cannes; Werner Herzog Says Film Completes A Trilogy After Fitzcarraldo And Grizzly Man". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 14, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
- ↑ Filmstunde (1991), episode 2 "FILM HOUR II - GUEST: VOLKER SCHLOENDORFF" at 10:17
- ↑ Lewis, Tim (October 15, 2023). "'I am not that much in pursuit of happiness': Werner Herzog on beer, yoga and what he would ask God". The Guardian. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (February 5, 2025). "Rooney And Kate Mara To Star In New Movie From Werner Herzog". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Kate Mara on Treating 'Friendship' Like a Drama, Finally Working With Her Sister and Why She's Eager to See the New 'Fantastic Four'". Archived from the original on May 23, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ↑ Guillot, Jamie (April 7, 2025). "Rooney and Kate Mara seen filming Werner Herzog's Bucking Fastard in Dublin". Hot Press. Archived from the original on April 7, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ↑ Whittock, Jesse (May 13, 2025). "'Bucking Fastard': First Look At Werner Herzog Pic Starring Kate & Rooney Mara". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 22, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ↑ Lang, Brent; Keslassy, Elsa (May 9, 2026). "Werner Herzog's 'Bucking Fastard' Turns Down Cannes Film Festival Invite After Being Denied Competition Slot (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on July 21, 2026. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ Hammond, Pete (September 3, 2026). "Telluride Film Festival Lineup: 'Elsinore' With Andrew Scott And Olivia Colman; Jesse Eisenberg's 'The Debut'; Mike Leigh's 'Tender Loving Care' And More Set For World Premieres". Deadline. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Toronto unveils 2026 galas and special presentations". Screen. Archived from the original on July 30, 2026. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
- ↑ Davis, Clayton (August 11, 2026). "New York Film Festival Unveils Spotlight Slate With Tom McCarthy's 'A Statement,' Jonathan Glazer's 'Joy of Joys' and More". Variety. Archived from the original on August 30, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Bucking Fastard". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Bucking Fastard". Metacritic. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (September 3, 2026). "Bucking Fastard review – Herzog's starry twins soap provokes a syncing feeling". The Guardian. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ "'Bucking Fastard' Review: Herner Werzog's Uddled-Mup Fairytale Stars the Mara Sisters as You've Never Seen Her Before". Variety. September 3, 2026. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (September 3, 2026). "'Bucking Fastard' Review: The Mara Sisters Commit to Werner Herzog's Wonderfully Weird Bit as Lovestruck Twins Who Move and Speak in Unison". IndieWire. Retrieved September 3, 2026.