{"id":321947,"date":"2026-11-05T21:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T21:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/321947\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T21:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T21:16:14","slug":"what-you-missed-at-the-philly-film-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/321947\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Missed at the Philly Film Fest"},"content":{"rendered":"

This past October, the 35th Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF) roared to life in Center City, bringing ten days of events, panels, and, most of all, movie screenings. For many film buffs, this was a can\u2019t-miss event, and I, after being ignorant of it during my freshman year, was this time keeping close tabs on PFF. Of course it was positioned at a rather inopportune time for most Swatties \u2014 right in the midst of midterm season, and partially overshadowed by Fall Break \u2014 but despite these inconveniences, I rashly claimed a student badge and vowed to myself that, unlike the previous year, I would make the most of the festival. Below are short descriptions of the films I managed to catch:<\/p>\n

10\/18: Fjord (2026)<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo\/Cannes Film Festival<\/p>\n

After becoming acquainted with the terminology and traditions<\/a> of the film fest, I found myself in the rush line for \u201cFjord,\u201d from Romanian director Cristian Mungiu. A co-production of Romania, Norway, France, Sweden, and Denmark, \u201cFjord\u201d is an examination of European cultural clashes, primarily the competing lifestyles and values of those first two countries: Romania, from which the film\u2019s Gheorghiu family hails, and Norway, where they\u2019ve moved. The Gheorghius\u2019 plight \u2014 their children being taken away as the family is investigated by Norway\u2019s equivalent of Child Protective Services \u2014 is broadly inspired by a real-life controversy<\/a> to which the internet responded with uproar, sparking worldwide protests.<\/p>\n

\u201cFjord\u201d invites us to think critically about the struggles of those far removed from us. We might not at first be inclined to relate to a conservative, fundamentalist Christian family in remote Norway, but Sebastian Stan\u2019s and Renate Reinsve\u2019s performances are more than enough to evoke sympathy in any audience. We\u2019re forced to take a step back and ask ourselves: how are we, who take pride in our progressivism and open-mindedness, supposed to feel about our beliefs being disfigured and weaponized? It\u2019s not surprising that Mungiu won the Palme d\u2019Or at the 79th Cannes, nor should it be unexpected if it takes home Best International Feature at next year\u2019s Oscars.<\/p>\n

10\/22: Elsinore (2026)<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo\/Anthony Dickenson<\/p>\n

Though I expect my mind might be changed later, at the time of writing, my pick for next year\u2019s Best Actor Oscar is locked in: Andrew Scott. The actor, equally versed in stage<\/a> and screen, more than demonstrates his talents in Simon Stone\u2019s \u201cElsinore.\u201d Scott plays real-life actor Ian Charleson, best known for starring in \u201cChariots of Fire\u201d (1981) and making an effort to return to the stage (specifically as Hamlet in the National Theatre\u2019s production) while battling AIDS.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s neither Charleson\u2019s nor Scott\u2019s<\/a> first time playing Hamlet, but where the film really shines are the moments offstage where we\u2019re allowed a more intimate look into the actor\u2019s life. Charleson is uplifted and challenged in equal measure by both his friend Patsy Pollock (Billie Piper) and physician Margaret Johnson (Olivia Colman), the latter of whom is a standout supporting performance. Despite only wanting to see Charleson healthy, she\u2019s the primary opponent to his desire to step into the spotlight once more; but without the role, Charleson insists he can\u2019t be happy, and thus we have the problem at the film\u2019s heart \u2014 is it worth living at all if you can\u2019t do what brings you the most joy?<\/p>\n

\u201cElsinore\u201d is a film about death and about life, and it suggests the two aren\u2019t as far apart as many think. Unlike many of the films listed here, it\u2019s getting a wide release very shortly \u2014 later this month \u2014 and I highly suggest anyone who this mini-review remotely entices to give it a shot.<\/p>\n

10\/23: Ray Gunn (2026)<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo\/Netflix\/Skydance<\/p>\n

After catching \u201cSense and Sensibility\u201d (2026) at the Fashion District AMC, I booked it with a friend to Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) Center for my only animated feature of the festival: \u201cRay Gunn\u201d from acclaimed animator Brad Bird (\u201cThe Incredibles\u201d (2004), \u201cRatatouille\u201d (2007), and many more). Out of the whole festival lineup, I was least sure of what to expect from this one \u2014 the animation style wasn\u2019t my cup of tea, and the retro-futuristic atmosphere Bird envisioned, while enticing, seemed a little too wide in scope to be sufficiently captured in two hours.<\/p>\n

However, in my eyes, \u201cRay Gunn\u201d proved that Brad Bird does still deserve his status as a pioneer of Western animation. It\u2019s true that his vision for the film is ambitious, perhaps hubristically so, but it was also gripping enough for me to indulge in it while forgiving the undercooked aspects. The voice work is worth noting too, especially Sam Rockwell, from whom I wasn\u2019t expecting much, delivering an impressive performance as the titular character. Also deserving of a mention are Scarlett Johansson, Tom Waits, and voice-acting great Alan Tudyk, whose presence reminded me that, despite the appeal of celebrity stunt-casting, a trained voice actor often can\u2019t be beat.<\/p>\n

As of now, \u201cRay Gunn\u201d will be getting a two-week run in theatres come December before it\u2019s put on Netflix, and I would definitely recommend catching it during that time \u2014 it\u2019s a real popcorn movie that\u2019s worth seeing on the big screen while you can.<\/p>\n

10\/25: Mouse (2026)<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo\/IMDb<\/p>\n

On Sunday, the final day of the film fest, I saw \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey\u201d (1968) on 70mm; and in between this and \u201cThe Debut,\u201d which I would be attempting to rush that evening (more on that later), I had a two-hour block perfectly suited for another film. \u201cMouse,\u201d from Kelly O\u2019Sullivan and Alex Thompson, had a screening right in that block, and I figured it was only economical to catch it, though I didn\u2019t know a thing about it. But \u201cMouse\u201d bowled me over the head and cemented itself as my favorite film of the festival.<\/p>\n

If I had known \u201cMouse\u201d was a coming-of-age drama, a genre I\u2019m a particular sucker for (see: my love of \u201cThe Edge of Seventeen\u201d (2016), \u201cLady Bird\u201d (2019), etc.) I might have done my research. But it\u2019s probably for the best that I knew so little going in, because it\u2019s an experience that lands all the better if you\u2019re watching it blind. It\u2019s a heavy commentary on the nature of grief that somehow also manages to be light, gentle, and ridiculously funny. Katherine Mallen Kupferer, who\u2019s frustratingly talented for being younger than me, brings a stellar and heartfelt lead performance to the table, and if there\u2019s any good in the world, this is only the beginning for her career. Even those who haven\u2019t experienced exactly what she has are bound to empathize with and relate to her adolescent struggles \u2014 I absolutely did. I sincerely cannot recommend this one enough.<\/p>\n

10\/25: The Debut (2026)<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo\/Matt Infante<\/p>\n

After raving to everyone who would listen about how excited I was for \u201cThe Debut,\u201d which I\u2019ve been doing ever since it was \u201cuntitled Jesse Eisenberg musical comedy\u201d on IMDb, the stars aligned and I caught an early screening at PFS East. Eisenberg himself graced the Film Fest earlier that very day in Center City, where he was featured in a live onstage conversation with Terry Gross, host of the Fresh Air podcast; but I, realizing I wouldn\u2019t have the time for both this and to catch \u201cThe Debut\u201d at East, gambled on the latter, a gamble which fortunately paid off.<\/p>\n

To get the obvious out of the way, Julianne Moore will be taking home a well-deserved second Oscar come March; everyone, including myself, seems to agree that her performance as meek housewife turned fervid method actor Mona Friedman is one of the best of the year. She puts on full display her singing talent, too, as she belts (or stumbles, depending on the point in the plot) her way through the songs, also written by Eisenberg especially for the movie. With his script and directing, he manages to capture the awkward yet extremely passionate essence of community theatre, a realm I\u2019m much familiar with.<\/p>\n

While Moore is certainly the load-bearer of \u201cThe Debut,\u201d the supporting performances bring plenty of heart to the film \u2014 Paul Giamatti and Halle Bailey in particular are standouts. Every combination of actors manages to be outrageously funny. It\u2019s the most I\u2019ve audibly laughed at a movie in a long time, and the most I\u2019ve heard a theatre laugh too; the audience would often burst into fits at one joke and run over the next (as they\u2019re so closely packed together). It\u2019s also slated for release in December, and hopefully my praise hasn\u2019t gotten stale at this point, because this is one you can\u2019t miss.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure there were plenty of duds at this year\u2019s film fest, but I count myself lucky that I personally didn\u2019t catch a single one. Even so, there were plenty of films that I wasn\u2019t able to see \u2014 ones that I hope everyone else forms their own opinions on when they\u2019re given wide releases (and hopefully report back to me).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This past October, the 35th Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF) roared to life in Center City, bringing ten days…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":321948,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[130600,130601,5646,130602,130603,41984,69,3900,71,70,130604,130605,39240,130606],"class_list":["post-321947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-andrew-scott","tag-elsinore","tag-film","tag-fjord","tag-jesse-eisenberg","tag-mouse","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-film-festival","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-philly-film-fest","tag-ray-gunn","tag-review","tag-the-debut"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=321947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321947\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/321948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=321947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=321947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=321947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}