2.5 out of 5 stars

Rumours may be the oddest film of 2024’s film festival circuit. It’s a bizarre mixture of genres and talents; genuinely funny political satire, B-movie horror effects, and some of the best actors currently working in the industry. From the minds of experimental filmmaking trio Guy Maddin, Galen Johnson, and Evan Johnson, Rumours is high concept, unpredictable, and outright bizarre.

The movie takes place at a meeting of prominent world leaders at a fictionalised version of the G7 summit. The leaders of Germany, Canada, the USA, the UK, Italy, Japan, and France have all come together to write up a provisional statement regarding an unnamed global crisis. Professionalism quickly goes out the window as the leaders ignore the problem to bicker, gloat, and flirt.

Their evening drafting a statement in a seemingly idyllic forest-based retreat soon goes wrong when a supernatural occurrence threatens their lives. The set-up isn’t subtle but creates a creepy atmosphere that draws you into this world. The three writer-directors have experience in surrealist cinema, which is evident in the tonal approach to this eccentric horror.

The political comedy in Rumours is less effective. On paper, this could’ve been The Death of Stalin (2017) with a supernatural twist. The first act, which shows the uselessness of politicians and their lack of care during a turbulent event, is effective. The deadpan delivery of the lines may be jarring to some, but once tuned into the flow of the script, the film decently sets up the characters and their interpersonal relationships. When the supernatural kicks in, the political satire takes a back seat. Rumours can’t effectively balance the two genres, with the jokes feeling forced in the last act.

Rumours knowingly toys with horror tropes, with powerful world leaders being turned into clueless slasher movie victims. While the cast is talented, they’re not known for their horror or comedy acting. Handing this screenplay to actual comedy actors may have helped the silliness of the final act land.

Rumours is saved by the ensemble cast, who are committed to the film, no matter how weird and audacious the script becomes. Every world leader is given this big Hollywood archetype to play into, which is fun until it wears thin. The characters aren’t exaggerated enough to be political satire but not small enough to be realistic. Ray Dupuis’ memorable role as the Canadian Prime Minster starts the movie crying alone and soon becomes a Rambo-type character. Cate Blanchett’s German leader is coquettish and frequently goes on inappropriate tangents. Blanchett’s performance is so hammy and, at times, wooden that it’s easy to forget she’s been nominated for eight Academy Awards.

Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) plays the dozy American President in a crisp English accent, which is brought up but never addressed. Dance is having a ball playing a confused leader who can barely stay awake during the summit. He is miscast, but that error almost works in context. Italy and France’s leaders, played respectively by Rolando Ravello and Denis Menochet, are parodies that walk a line between comedy and cultural stereotypes. Takehiro Hira’s Japanese leader is given the least to work with, and Nikki Amuka-Bird is wasted as the British Prime Minster. Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) makes a brief appearance as a confused delegate, doing little else but appearing dazed and vague. Everyone is committed to this world, and despite some uneven performances, the cast is clearly having fun with it.

Though you can see hints of real-world caricature in the cast (a heavy dose of Angela Merkel and Joe Biden with a dash of Teresa May, Emmanuel Macron, and Pierre Trudeau), the point is not to distractingly parody existing public figures. By taking different character traits, Rumours creates a perfect cast of interchangeable, self-serving, ineffectual leaders.

Though you can see hints of real-world caricature in the cast (a heavy dose of Angela Merkel and Joe Biden with a dash of Teresa May, Emmanuel Macron and Pierre Trudeau), the point is not to distractingly parody existing public figures. By taking different character traits, Rumours creates a perfect cast of interchangeable, self-serving, ineffectual leaders.

Stefan Ciupek’s cinematography is exaggerated, with the fog looking more like a smoke machine at the school disco than a real threat. Kristian Eidnes Andersen’s score is too melodramatic for a movie that leans into its own silliness.

All the elements of Rumours work separately, but together, they are migraine-inducing. The film sets up a group of tangible political leaders before using a supernatural threat to humanise them. There never feels any real peril to the story, especially when the threat is fully showcased.

Written by Evan Johnson from a story by the three directors, the film gets weird for weird’s sake. As the characters run doggedly into the foggy night, acting like horror parodies and not real people, it begins to get repetitive and like the film has run out of plot. The middle act is padded out as the politicians run around cluelessly, occasionally stopping to hook up with each other. Rumours throws more and more concepts and zaniness onto the final act, all reacted to by the cast like they are in a soap opera. There is a last-minute upturn when the group debates the merits of a distress call, but ultimately, the film never matches the opening scenes.

Rumours is a frustrating watch, ultimately. There is so much potential with this cast playing political figures in a zombie apocalypse. The writing doesn’t quite live up to the prospects, the horror elements are out there, and the political satire isn’t out there enough. Audiences may walk away wondering how so many talented and well-known stars signed up for what comes across as a bad B-movie from 40 years ago. In the end, it’ll leave you wondering what the point of it all was.

GERMANY •  CANADA | 2024 | 118 MINUTES | RATIO | COLOUR | ENGLISH

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Cast & Crew

writers & directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson & Galen Johnson.
starring: Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander, Charles Dance, Roy Dupuis, Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello, Takehiro Hira & Zlatko Burić.