Annual Top Films Lists

Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2016: #32. John Cameron Mitchell’s How to Talk to Girls at Parties

Published on January 11, 2016

How to Talk to Girls at Parties

Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Writers: Philippa Goslett, John Cameron Mitchell

This year marks the welcome return of John Cameron Mitchell with How to Talk to Girls at Parties. His latest is a sci-fi period piece about an alien going through a mysterious rite of passage and how meeting two young inhabitants of 1970s London suburb Croyden potentially changes her destiny (and this is based on a short story by Neil Gaiman). Mitchell casts Elle Fanning and collaborates once again with Nicole Kidman, who headlined his last feature, 2010’s Rabbit Hole. This sounds like Mitchell’s most fantastical effort since his iconic 2001 debut, Hedwig and the Angry Inch—so we’re equally enthused for a soundtrack aiming to invent a new genre of music termed ‘extraterrestrial dance’ in the A24 release.

Cast: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Ruth Wilson, Matt Lucas

Production Co.: HanWay Films, Little Punk, See-Saw Films

U.S. Distributor: A24 (domestic) Studio Canal (international).

Release Date: In 2010, Rabbit Hole premiered at TIFF, and we’re expecting Mitchell to return to Toronto, but perhaps premiering first in Venice to compete.

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.