Deadline Reviews Five Films at Venice 2026 — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Venice Film Festival’s 83rd edition began Wednesday, Sept. 2, with Danny Boyle’s Ink, which Deadline said captures 1969 London’s tabloid-media world with brash, energetic filmmaking.
- The Basics of Philosophy is an out-of-competition Paul Schrader character study that Deadline described as continuing his run of grown-up filmmaking while asking whether his characters can change.
- Bucking Fastard earned praise from Deadline for the sweet, generous tone beneath Werner Herzog’s stylized story of two sisters played by Rooney Mara and Kate Mara.
- The Girl with the Leica explores the tension between bravery and ego in Alina Marazzi’s unconventional Gerda Taro biopic, though Deadline said its structure overcomplicates its meditation on identity and legacy.
- Wild Horse Nine drew Deadline’s strongest praise: John Malkovich delivered a career-best performance, while Martin McDonagh was credited with another success, making him 5-for-5 as a writer-director.
Why it matters: For awards-season watchers, the 83rd festival puts auteur-driven titles and performances at the center, while the stated absence of major studio releases increases the importance of festival curation and individual filmmakers. Five films are assessed here, with Boyle’s Ink and Malkovich’s Wild Horse Nine emerging as early standouts.
Ask SkimNews
