2023
Unrated
Strand Releasing
1 h 7 m

2023
Unrated
Strand Releasing
1 h 7 m

Summary On his deathbed, his royal highness Alfredo, king without a crown, is taken back to distant youth memories and the time he dreamt of becoming a fireman. The encounter with instructor Afonso from the fire brigade opens a new chapter in the life of the two young men immersed in love and desire, and the will to change the status quo.

Directed By: João Pedro Rodrigues

Written By: João Rui Guerra da Mata, Paulo Lopes Graça, João Pedro Rodrigues

2023
Unrated
Strand Releasing
1 h 7 m

2023
Unrated
Strand Releasing
1 h 7 m

Will-o'-the-Wisp

Name: Will-o'-the-Wisp
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Musical, Romance, Sci-Fi
Released: 2023-05-26
Duration: 1 min 7 s
Rating: 72
Cast: Mauro da Costa, André Cabral, Margarida Vila-Nova, Miguel Loureiro, Joel Branco

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews

User Score Available after 4 ratings

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Directed By: João Pedro Rodrigues

Written By: João Rui Guerra da Mata, Paulo Lopes Graça, João Pedro Rodrigues

Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews

86% Positive
6 Reviews

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

14% Negative
1 Review

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Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

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Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews

86% Positive
6 Reviews

0% Mixed
0 Reviews

14% Negative
1 Review

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Los Angeles Times

Jun 7, 2023

Like the fiery folklore entity that lends it its name, Will-o’-the-Wisp burns bright with idiosyncratic ambition. Few cineastes out there are making deliciously defiant art like Rodrigues, and this entry in his catalog is a concentrated shot of his sardonic mastery.

By Carlos Aguilar FULL REVIEW

Screen Daily

Jun 7, 2023

Served up with lashings of homoeroticism, Bunuelian satire, a gay love story and an athletic dance number, its uncompromising nature will delight fans of the visionary filmmaker.

By Allan Hunter FULL REVIEW

Variety

Jun 7, 2023

Rampantly horny and unapologetically silly, Will-o’-the-Wisp appeals to more primal desires and thought processes in its audience, even as it repurposes a Greta Thunberg speech or references the racially charged work of 18th-century Portuguese painter José Conrado Roza.

By Guy Lodge FULL REVIEW

The Hollywood Reporter

Jun 7, 2023

While the cast’s dancing is very good, on the whole, the acting suggests less training. But that fits the semi-professional vibe even better, creating a work that feels light, quick and quite dirty in every sense.

By Leslie Felperin FULL REVIEW

The New York Times

May 25, 2023

Will-o’-the-Wisp, an off-balance provocation from the Portuguese titillater João Pedro Rodrigues, is a prank in fancy dress, a plastic boutonniere that squirts battery acid. The joke is on everyone, particularly the powerful and those holding out hope that the powerful will save the planet.

By Amy Nicholson FULL REVIEW

The Film Stage

May 4, 2023

It’s hard not to wish the film were a little longer and could push its musical element harder. It doesn’t quite erupt into a rapturous extravaganza—seemingly by design, as a twinge of defeat emerges when the film makes a hard ellipsis back to the future in its final minutes. But in this mad dash of relevancy, maybe a bit of half baked-ness just comes with the territory

By Ethan Vestby FULL REVIEW

San Francisco Chronicle

Jun 29, 2023

Will-o’-the-Wisp, a flight of fancy from Portuguese provocateur João Pedro Rodrigues, has a few ideas, a fun little musical sequence and quite a bit of eye candy. But it seems like a series of tonally different short films mashed together — an art installation rather than a movie.

By G. Allen Johnson FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Production Company Terratreme Filmes, House on Fire, Filmes Fantasma, ARTE

Release Date May 26, 2023

Duration 1 h 7 m

Rating Unrated

Genres

Website https://www.ica-ip.pt/pt/apoios/projetos-em-curso/

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Awards

CinEuphoria Awards

• 3 Nominations

Seville European Film Festival

• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

LesGaiCineMad, Madrid International LGBT Film Festival

• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

Will-o'-the-Wisp

Top Cast

Mauro da Costa

Alfredo

André Cabral

Afonso

Margarida Vila-Nova

Teresa

Miguel Loureiro

Eduardo

Joel Branco

Alfredo 2069

Teresa Madruga

Ama

Cláudia Jardim

Comandante

Joana Barrios

Bombeira Otília

João Villas-Boas

Bombeiro

João Reis Moreira

Bombeiro

João Caçador

Bombeiro

Anabela Moreira

Rata de sacristia

Raquel Rocha Vieira

Rata de sacristia

Ana Bustorff

Cunhada de Alfredo

João Mota

Marido da Cunhada

Sérgio Coragem

Comandante 2069

Antonio Calpi

Bombeiro 2069

Mick Bateman

Bombeiro 2069

Vasco Redondo

Sancho

Dinis Vila-Nova

Sebastião

Critic Reviews

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Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

Details

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Awards

Awards

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