Werner Herzog's Bucking Fastard screened in TIFF's Special Presentations section on September 13, continuing an awards circuit run that began at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where the film had its world premiere on September 3 and earned a 7.5-minute ovation.
The film stars Rooney Mara as Joan Holbrooke and Kate Mara as Jean Holbrooke, real-life sisters appearing together on screen for the first time. Their characters dress the same, speak in unison, and fall in love with the same man, played by Orlando Bloom as Gareth Mulroney. Domhnall Gleeson and Hugh O'Conor round out the cast. The story draws from Freda and Greta Chaplin, real-life British twins who made tabloid headlines in the 1980s.
Herzog wrote and directed the film, with cinematography by longtime collaborator Peter Zeitlinger and a score by Ernst Reijseger. It is a co-production between Providence Road Entertainment and Gateway to Orkney, with sales handled by Gersh and HanWay Films.
The film was dedicated to David Lynch, who died in 2025. It also played Telluride and is set for the New York Film Festival's Spotlight Gala section. No U.S. distributor has announced a deal.
Critical reception has been mixed, with a 72% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 29 reviews, ranging from enthusiasm for its eccentric register to frustration with its surface-level strangeness.
