Rooney and Kate Mara Shine in Werner Herzog’s ‘Bucking Fastard’ at Venice

At the Venice Film Festival, Werner Herzog’s latest fractured fairytale, Bucking Fastard, offers a narrative that defies literal logic but resonates through what the director calls a “Herzogian brainspace.” In this realm, where the impossible becomes plausible, two inseparable sisters who speak only in unison and are obsessed with a man who has rejected them seem like natural inhabitants. Inspired by the real-life united twins Freda and Greta Chaplin from York, England, the film stars real-life sisters Rooney and Kate Mara as Joan and Jean Holbrooke.

Joan and Jean reside in Ireland and function as a single entity, sharing every thought and emotion while dressed identically in trenchcoats and skirts. Their synchronized speech creates an eerie yet eventually normalizing effect throughout the film. The sisters become infatuated with Gareth Mulroney, portrayed by Orlando Bloom, a charismatic neighbor who disrupts their quiet life by bursting into their local church. This encounter leads to a triad relationship, described with Herzog’s signature unconventional flair, before Gareth abruptly ends things to marry another woman.

Following the breakup, Joan and Jean’s grief turns to rage, leading them to set fire to Gareth’s car and mailboxes. The film then shifts to a courtroom setting where the sisters defend their actions, insisting their connection was rooted in love rather than mere lust. A sympathetic villager subsequently offers them accommodation in another town, warning them against exploiting strangers.

The narrative transitions into a series of vignettes as the sisters navigate life in their new flat. They outsmart a peeping tom neighbor and receive help from a social worker played by Domhnall Gleeson. Eventually feeling confined, they move in with an aunt who introduces them to a mysterious cave. Inside this labyrinth, the sisters embark on an ambitious project to dig a tunnel to a land of freedom and acceptance, accompanied by a fox they name Cupid.

Cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger captures the sisters’ labor in the cave with luminous imagery, highlighting their determination. While the film’s ending remains ambiguous, critics note that the Mara sisters deliver brilliant performances that evoke both laughter and deep empathy. The story serves as a metaphorical exploration of female desire and resilience, leaving audiences to interpret its dreamlike conclusion.