Tag: Kristine Kujath Thorp

A Prayer for the Dying (2026) | Fantastic Fest 2026 | REVIEW

John C. Reilly and Johnny Flynn in Dara Van Dusen’s A PRAYER FOR THE DYING. Image provided by Fantastic Fest. Courtesy of Quiver Distribution.

Directed by Dara Van Dusen – Screenplay by Dara Van Dusen.

Following its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale, the western-adjacent drama, A Prayer for the Dying, from debut feature filmmaker Dara Van Dusen, just had its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026. As part of my remote coverage of the latter festival, I got the opportunity to watch this ambitious debut. Dusen’s Western-adjacent debut, which is being prepared for a post-festival US theatrical release on October 9th, contains fascinating surreal imagery, pitch-black dark character predicaments, and a challenging role for its competent leading man. Although it has some blemishes, I thought it was mostly quite effective.

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Fantastic Fest 2026 | Preview

Festival logo — Image provided by Fantastic Fest.

Later this month — from September 17th to September 24th — the 21st edition of Fantastic Fest takes place at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX. Over the years, the beloved film festival all about genre film has featured world premieres of such films as There Will Be Blood, Zombieland, and Apostle, as well as the U.S. premiere of Obsession, which now, just a year later, has taken the world by storm following its theatrical release. Now, while I won’t be in Austin, I have been approved for remote coverage of the festival. Thus, I plan to post standalone reviews of select films over the course of the week of the festival, which I am very much looking forward to.

In this preview, I’ll highlight some of the major premieres, screenings, and titles. But this article also dives deeper into Fantastic Fest‘s fascinating line-up, as I have prepared a list of ten films that have caught my eye based on intriguing loglines, the creative team involved, or, in certain cases, the cast that appears in the film. Although it is unlikely that I’ll get to see all of them during my remote coverage, these are some of the films that I think you should seek out if you are going to be in Austin, TX this month.

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Bastarden (2023) | REVIEW

Mads Mikkelsen as Ludvig Kahlen, an impoverished soldier who desires nobility, in BASTARDEN // THE PROMISED LAND — PHOTO: Henrik Ohsten / Zentropa / Nordisk Film.

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel — Screenplay by Nikolaj Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen (Retfærdighedens Ryttere).

Titles can be tricky. Titles are obviously an essential part of marketing as they clue audiences in on what they can expect to see. A poster can be manipulated. A trailer can be manipulated. But more often than not titles mean something to the creatives who worked on the film. Then, of course, there are International titles. In the case of this Danish historical epic, its original title is Bastarden, which literally means ‘The Bastard,’ but it is known internationally as The Promised Land. Frankly, both titles feel accurate. Then, of course, there is the title of the source material, which is a Danish historical novel from Ida Jessen titled The Captain and Ann Babara (originally Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara in Danish). Internationally, distributors went with The Promised Land, which I honestly think is a bit of a mistake as it is such a generic title that has been used over and over again. Now, The Bastard isn’t exactly completely original. Still, it feels less conventional and speaks to its two principal opponents, a person born out of wedlock and his despicable antagonist. Regardless of which title you find it under, this Danish epic is one that I highly recommend, as it features strong performances, gorgeous photography, and a fair bit of violence which keeps this period piece from ever feeling stuffy. 

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Den Store Stilhed (2023) | REVIEW

Kristine Kujath Thorp plays the Norwegian nun Alma in Katrine Brocks’ DEN STORE STILHED — PHOTO: Mia Mai Dengsø Graabæk, DFF.

International Title: The Great Silence — Directed by Katrine Brocks — Screenplay by Katrine Brocks and Marianne Lentz.

Katrine Brocks’ The Great Silence follows Alma (played by Kristine Kujath Thorp), a Norwegian nun in a Catholic convent in Denmark. Alma is preparing for her perpetual vows — her marriage to God, as some characters put it — when her Danish half-brother Erik (played by Elliott Crosset Hove), a recovering alcoholic, stops by to ask for his half of the inheritance that their father left her. However, Alma, formerly named Silje, has already donated the entire inheritance to the convent so that they can repair their leaky ceiling. Hoping that Alma can also repair her relationship with her brother, the Mother Superior bends the rules and invites Erik to stay for a few days. Having him back in her life brings back traumatic memories that she may now finally have to confront.

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