The Fox
Rating: 4.5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
Screened at SXSW 2026
Humans are animals, just like every dog, cat, rabbit, and fox, to name a few. While some of these species are incredibly more intelligent than others, there is no doubt that we, as humans, have those animalistic instincts and qualities inside of us. However, we never revert back to being animals, faking contempt about the struggles and stress in our lives. In fact, Dario Russo's newest film, The Fox, which I saw last night at the world premiere at SXSW, claims that the worst sentiment a human could say about their situation in life is "It is what it is." This darkly-comedic film is genius in some of the most bizarre ways, and Russo does a fantastic job of taking this story and these actors and blending them together in an unforgettable cinematic experience.
The movie follows couple Nick (Jai Courtney) and Kori (Emily Browning), who have gotten way too comfortable together. They go to the pub every night and then come back to unenthusiastic sex, which makes Kori question about whether or not this is what she wants out of her life. When secrets are revealed and Nick meets a talking fox (Olivia Colman) who promises to turn Kori into the perfect woman, he decides to go through with it, changing the course of their lives forever.
Right away, this movie catches your attention with the bizarre and hilarious humor that Russo is able to sprinkle throughout. From moments where Nick is washing himself up after sex in the sink to a hilarious performance from Sam Neill as an annoying Magpie, this film works due to the sheer absurdity of the humor that is present. I think this is perhaps one of my favorite aspects of watching a dark comedy from either Europe or Australia; they simply have this glorious idea about dark humor that I think translates so incredibly well. There have been numerous instances lately of dark humor in American films simply not hitting like they are supposed to, and I think the European and Australian filmmakers have gotten their time to shine in this darkly comedic and shocking subgenre of film.
On top of the fantastic humor that keeps the entire audience engaged and laughing from beginning to end, Russo provides these insights into the message and theme of the film. While I will not go into it much here to avoid spoiling this film, there is a lot Russo has to say about humans and how they have acted and behaved in recent times. This movie is very obviously a critical view at humans and how they act with one another, and how they will take the easy way out of their problems and say "it is what it is" instead of dealing with them. Russo is a very intelligent writer and director, and this picture perfectly proves what kind of filmmaker he is.
The performances here are electric, with Courtney playing this loser and Browning playing this girl who simply wants to have the romantic passion that was perhaps once in their relationship. Browning goes through a shift towards the middle of this film, and I think it is worth noting the brilliant changes in her acting when she is performing one version of herself compared to the other. It's incredibly subtle, but definitely noticeable. At the same time, I simply adore Damon Herriman's performance of the character Derek, who is Browning's boss in the film. He has quite a big role in this picture, and Herriman does a wonderful job of really tapping into this role and who Derek is. His character goes on an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end, and Herriman is simply electric.
I also want to mention the wonderful vocal performances given by both Colman and Neill as well. I think it is fair to say that the annoying Magpie might simply be one of the best characters in the entire film, even if he is only in the picture for a short amount of time. While the dialogue is beautifully written, I think it is Neill's performance of these lines that simply make this role what it is. He is hilarious in every single scene, and I wish Russo might have given us a little more of him. The same can be said for Colman, and I won't mention too much of her character because I want you to see it for yourself. I mean, come on, it's Olivia Colman. How could you not love her?
There is a little lull between the second and third acts of this film that I think could have been cleaned up a little bit better. There was a couple of times during this lull that I thought Russo was going to end the film here and laugh at the pain and chaos our characters have found themselves in, but I get shocked once again when the next scene starts after a fade to black. I feel like there was this confusion on how to really connect the first two thirds of this film with the climatic finale, but that is really the only big complaint I have for this film.
This is honestly my first project I have seen Russo work on, and he has immediately earned a new fan with this film. The Fox is so bizarre that it works, and I think a lot of people are going to enjoy this ride that Russo takes them on. I did, and I can tell the entire audience did as well.
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