Annual Top Films Lists

Top 150 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2019: #113. Judy and Punch – Mirrah Foulkes

Published on January 2, 2019

Judy and Punch

Australian actress Mirrah Foulkes makes her directorial debut with Judy and Punch, produced by Michele Bennett, Nash Edgerton and Danny Gabai. Cinematographer Stefan Duscio (Greg McLean’s Jungle, 2017) lensed the film with a cast headlined by Mia Wasikowska, joined by Damon Herriman, Benedict Hardie and Tom Budge. Foulkes starred in David Michod’s Animal Kingdom (2010), Joel Edgerton’s The Gift (2015) and Jane Campion’s first season of Top of the Lake (2013).

Gist: Foulkes adapts the famed 16th century puppet show Punch and Judy for a live-action, feminist reinterpretation. Famed puppeteers Judy and Punch struggle to provide for their child in the landlocked town of Seaside, trying to provide pleasant escapism within a town gripped by witch hunts. When Punch turns to drink, disaster strikes their family and Judy is driven to society’s outskirts where she plots revenge for what has befallen her.

Release Date/Prediction: Judy and Punch will premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in the World Narrative Dramatic competition.

Nicholas Bell

Los Angeles based Nicholas Bell is IONCINEMA.com's Chief Film Critic and covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and TIFF. He is part of the critic groups on Rotten Tomatoes, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and GALECA. His top 3 for 2021: France (Bruno Dumont), Passing (Rebecca Hall) and Nightmare Alley (Guillermo Del Toro). He was a jury member at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival.