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Will-o'-the-Wisp

Play trailer Poster for Will-o'-the-Wisp Released May 26, 2023 1h 7m Romance Musical Comedy Fantasy LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
97% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 42% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
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.
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Will-o'-the-Wisp

Will-o'-the-Wisp

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Critics Consensus

Director João Pedro Rodrigues lures audiences into bewitchingly surreal territory with Will-o'-the-Wisp, a genre-bending collision of style and substance.

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Critics Reviews

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G. Allen Johnson San Francisco Chronicle Will-o’-the-Wisp has its moments, but this is another movie that thinks bringing up an issue is the same as excavating it. Rated: 1/4 Jun 29, 2023 Full Review Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News There are showstopping musical numbers, plentiful eyefuls of nudity and much more. I loved every 67 minutes of it. Rated: 3/4 Jun 28, 2023 Full Review Carlos Aguilar Los Angeles Times 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. Jun 2, 2023 Full Review Alex Heeney Seventh Row Hawks famously opined...a good movie [has] three good scenes [without] annoying the audience. In that, João Rodrigues excels. Will-o’-the-Wisp is a fiercely political indictment of capitalism hidden inside a queer romance that never outstays its welcome. Jul 31, 2023 Full Review Hector A. Gonzalez The Movie Buff The world that Rodrigues wants to build here finds itself between the erotic and phantasmagorical, aided by skillful, albeit slightly messy, direction. Rated: B- Jul 29, 2023 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills Will is really just a goof, without much cumulative or lingering impact. Still, what a goof... Jul 6, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (6) audience reviews
Gnr E Team did a great job. Everything perfect Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/28/24 Full Review Geke g One of the best non-Hollywood film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/27/24 Full Review J B An early scene featuring children singing a Portuguese children's song felt a little overlong given that the plot was still being established, but the rest of it was enjoyable, with plenty of homoerotic imaging that comes to a climax, so to speak, in a burnt forest. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/24 Full Review Jonny M While slow to start and occasionally meandering, brilliantly blended themes including climate change, COVID-19, race and class warfare, family dynamics, camp, and sexual identity make this a charged, unpredictable experience worth suiting up for. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/12/23 Full Review Dan H If you see only one neo-Brechtian queer climate crisis musical this year it should be WILL-O'-THE-WISP. In fact, even if neo-Brechtian queer climate crisis musicals are not your bag, you need to see this to believe it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/03/23 Full Review Roger M It's really hard to believe this is the same director who brought us The Ornithologist. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Will-o'-the-Wisp

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Cast & Crew

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João Pedro Rodrigues

Director

Mauro Costa

Alfredo

André Cabral

Afonso

Joel Branco

Alfredo 2069

Oceano Cruz

Afonso 2069

Margarida Vila-Nova

Teresa

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Will-o'-the-Wisp

Will-o'-the-Wisp (2022) Will-o'-the-Wisp (2022) Will-o'-the-Wisp (2022) Will-o'-the-Wisp (2022) Will-o'-the-Wisp (2022) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
João Pedro Rodrigues
Producer
Vincent Wang, João Matos, João Pedro Rodrigues
Screenwriter
João Pedro Rodrigues, João Rui Guerra Da Mata, Paulo Lopes Graça
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Production Co
Terratreme Filmes, House on Fire
Genre
Romance, Musical, Comedy, Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Original Language
Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters)
May 26, 2023, Limited
Runtime
1h 7m
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