Release Date – 6th December 2024, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 44 minutes, Directors – Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin
The G7 leaders find themselves lost in the woods, where they are left alone to draft a statement, facing strange creatures as they try to get back to safety.
Rumours feels like a clash between Ben Wheatley and Armando Iannucci. While that might sound like an initially inviting idea, clash works better than blend as the two tones create an unevenness throughout as the film jumps back and forth between its satirical edges and its stranger horror-inspired elements.
The G7 have gathered together to create “a draft outline of a provisional statement” to let the world know that they are addressing “the somewhat difficult matters of the present crisis”. Left alone in a lakeside gazebo to work on their statement, a brief walk through the woods to get back to the building being used as the base for the event is extended when strange creatures, including the possible undead, delay the group of world leaders. As the purple fog settles in the woodland setting feels like its been plucked straight from an 80s slasher flick. The horror influences sit strangely amongst the comedic beats, which work best when dealing with snappy and more direct jokes rather than references to the various relationships between the ensemble.
It’s clear that the starrier cast members are given more to do than others. The likes of Cate Blanchett and Charles Dance as the chancellor of Germany and US president respectively (Dance keeping his British accent, with an amusing non-explanation as to why part way through) have a bigger push than Rolando Ravello and Takehiro Hira as the prime ministers of Italy and Japan. It’s clear from the opening stages as discussions begin that such characters are going to be, or already have been, pushed to one side.
Much appears to be pushed aside as the film goes on and its stranger elements grow. Tonal shifts fly around, trying to maintain the attempted humour of the draft discussions with the undercooked attempt to escape the forest – a location which manages to continue the idea that much of this could unfold much the same on a stage, and perhaps at times better, or simply as a short film.
Ideas are drawn out while others in need of detail feel randomly introduced just to bring something new to the film – including one late-stage character decision which really doesn’t work. All approaching a rushed third act where everything appears to be thrown at the screen in a sudden loud, messy burst.
As a whole the film feels like an undercooked jumble of ideas which create a tonally uneven set of events which have their amusing moments, but largely when focusing on short, snappy interactions between the characters where it feels like upfront humour is put as the focus rather than more veiled satire or undercooked character relationships. As a whole the film is fine, but its mixture holds it back from truly having an effect, and eventually causing it to stumble in the woods as it gets closer to the end.
While it has some humorous moments with upfront satire, and some likable horror aesthetic, Rumours is an undeniable jumble of tones and ideas which hold it back and cause it to lose its way.
Just A Little Bit Random 