OVERVIEW
The Fox blends Obsession, The Stepford Wives, and Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy, with the dark humor and strange authenticity of Australian horror films. Nick (Jai Courtney) discovers that his fiancée, Kori (Emily Browning), has been cheating on him and, rather than confronting her about it, takes the advice of a talking fox: throw Kori into a hole in the forest, which will make her obedient and submissive. He does just that, choosing to ignore what this might actually mean.
BACKGROUND
The Fox marks the feature directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Dario Russo, who previously gained a cult following with the internet comedy Italian Spiderman (2007) and the absurdist television series Danger 5 (2012), about a group of international spies trying to kill Adolf Hitler. For The Fox, Russo wrote the screenplay, edited the film, and composed its score, drawing inspiration from Japanese and Korean folklore and setting the story in the Adelaide Hills, where he grew up. The film premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2025 before screening internationally at SXSW, eventually winning the Audience Award for Best Australian Feature at the 2026 Sydney Film Festival and having its Ontario premiere at Toronto After Dark.
THE REVIEW
The Fox is wacky, creative, and thoroughly entertaining. It takes its bizarre premise, explores it well, creates endearing characters and a peculiar world, and maintains a good pace throughout its 90 minutes, throwing in unexpected turns along the way.
This is a world where humans barely blink an eye when a fox suddenly starts talking to them, and some of its best moments come from these awkward interactions between humans and animals. It is all strangely endearing, feeling like the grown-up version of the ‘CGI animal companion’ family films, except here they are just as likely to offer terrible advice or make an unexpectedly filthy remark.
Another difference from those films is that the animals are brought to life through animatronics, with Russo insisting on avoiding CGI. The practical effects work particularly well with the film’s tone, as does his strange but oddly appealing score.
The cast is delightful, with everyone fully embracing Russo’s unusual tone. Jai Courtney continues to entertain the further he moves away from the Hollywood blockbuster roles that tarnished his reputation. Much like he did in Dangerous Animals last year, he completely commits to the bit. Emily Browning finds genuinely authentic moments in her performance that help ground the whole film, while Claudia Doumit and Miranda Otto are both hilarious in almost every scene. Hearing Olivia Colman’s voice is always a pleasure, especially when we hear her instantly recognizable voice coming out of a fox saying ‘I will suck your dick’, while the late Sam Neill also has some great moments as a cynic and cunning magpie.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Fox makes the most of a concept that isn’t particularly original, constantly finding new ways to surprise and entertain. It maintains a consistent tone and remains funny throughout, repeatedly finding new variations on jokes that work, such as Kori’s newfound fear of dogs. There is almost always something to laugh at, whether it’s a ridiculous exchange or an unexpected revelation about the true nature of a few characters. Its exploration of themes familiar from Obsession and The Stepford Wives isn’t particularly revealing, and the film could have given Kori more agency in its later moments, but it works very well for what it is.
- Where to watch
- Coming soon
- Where to watch
- Coming soon
Play trailer
- Original title
- The Fox
- Director
- Dario Russo
- Cast
- Jai Courtney, Emily Browning, Olivia Colman, Claudia Doumit, Peter O'Brien, Sam Neill, Miranda Otto, Damon Herriman
- Screenwriter
- Dario Russo
- Composer
- Dario Russo
- Cinematography
- Matthew Chuang
- Country
- Language
- English