Sisters Rooney and Kate Mara star in the Werner Herzog-directed feature Bucking Fastard, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, September 3, 2026, according to AFP and The Hollywood Reporter. Leveraging their natural bond, the quirky movie portrays the siblings talking and moving synchronously throughout nearly their entire screen time to embody roles loosely modeled after Freda and Greta Chaplin, northern English twins who attracted British public attention in the early 1980s.
World Premiere and Emotional Standing Ovation at Venice
The world premiere inside Sala Grande drew a warm, six-and-a-half-minute standing ovation, during which director Werner Herzog wiped away tears and held his hand to his heart, according to reporting from The Hollywood Reporter. The film is in the running for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival commenced on the Lido on Wednesday evening via a gala honoring George Clooney with a lifetime achievement Golden Lion, and wrapped up following the global debut of Danny Boyle’s Ink.
Production Background and Filming Locations
Filmed in Ireland and Slovenia, Bucking Fastard utilized locations including Dublin’s Pigeon House and Capel Street, alongside Naas, Co Kildare, according to AFP. Irish producer Kieran Corrigan is among the makers of the film. Additional production backing comes from Ariel Leon Isacovitch and Agnes Chu, with HanWay Films handling worldwide sales, per The Hollywood Reporter. The cast also features Orlando Bloom as the sisters’ shared romantic interest, alongside Domhnall Gleeson as a government-issued social worker/mender, Simon Delaney, and Hugh O’Conor.
Did you know? Werner Herzog wrote the screenplay for Bucking Fastard in five days with the Mara sisters in mind, telling reporters he bypassed the traditional two-week rehearsal period because the actors achieved the required synchronicity almost instantly.
Methodology Behind the Synchronized Performances
According to statements given to AFP and The Hollywood Reporter in Venice, the Mara sisters found that their lifelong bond eliminated the need for exhaustive preparation. “There was just an unspoken world between us that we didn’t have to work very hard to create at all,” Rooney Mara told journalists. Kate Mara noted that the script originally called for them to play identical twins, though that was later switched simply to sisters, adding that their matching vocal tones made speaking in tandem remarkably natural. Herzog described the project to reporters as “unique in film history in a way… It’s unique that two sisters are playing as one.”
Critical Reception and Polarizing Reviews
Early reviews from critics highlight the eccentric nature of the production. Screen Daily characterized the movie as a “strange tale of sisterly devotion,” while Variety labeled it a “cluttered, ripely bonkers fantasia.” Conversely, The Guardian called it a “silly, pointless drama,” and IndieWire noted that the film is “destined to polarise… either you’re on the train, or you want to get off it fast.” A release date for Bucking Fastard is yet to be announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the plot of Bucking Fastard?
According to the official festival description cited by The Hollywood Reporter, the film focuses on two sisters, Jean and Joan Holbrooke, who speak in unison, share the same dreams, and fall in love with the same man, played by Orlando Bloom. After he ditches them for another woman, they turn to random acts of crime and start digging a tunnel through a cavernous mountain range in search of the Orkneys.
Who directed the film?
Veteran German filmmaker Werner Herzog directed Bucking Fastard from his own screenplay.
Where was the movie filmed?
Production took place in Ireland and Slovenia, according to AFP.
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