Mr. K (film)

Last updated
Mr. K
Mr.K poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTallulah H. Schwab
Written byTallulah H. Schwab
Produced by
  • Erik Glijnis
  • Ineke Kanters
  • Leontine Petit
  • Dries Phlypo
  • Judy Tossell
  • Jan van der Zanden
Starring
Cinematography Frank Griebe
Edited byMaarten Janssens
Music byStan Lee Cole
Production
companies
  • Lemming Film
  • A Private View
  • The Film Kitchen
  • Finnish Impact Film Fund
Distributed byParadiso Entertainment (Netherlands)
Release dates
  • 6 September 2024 (2024-09-06)(TIFF)
  • 16 January 2025 (2025-01-16)(Netherlands)
Running time
94 minutes
Countries
  • Netherlands
  • Belgium
  • Norway
LanguageEnglish
Box office$142,932 [1]

Mr. K is a 2024 surrealist mystery drama film written and directed by Tallulah H. Schwab starring Crispin Glover.

Contents

Plot

Mr. K, a traveling magician, finds himself in a Kafkaesque nightmare when he can’t find the exit of the hotel he has slept in. His attempts to get out only pull him deeper inside, entangling him further with the hotel and its curious inhabitants. [2]

Cast

Production

The film is a Norwegian-Belgian-Dutch co-production by Lemming Productions along with A Private View and The Film Kitchen and it had the participation and funding from Netherlands Film Fund, The Netherlands Film Production Incentive, CoBO Fund, AVROTROS, Creative Europe, LevelK, Eurimages, Screen Flanders, Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Belgian Tax Shelter and Norsk Filminstitut. [3] [4]

In April 2023, the project was revealed to have wrapped filming in the Netherlands. [3]

Release

The film premiered in the Platform Prize competition of the 49th Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2024. [5] [6] It also played as part of the Flash Forward program of the 29th Busan International Film Festival and competed in the official selection at the 57th Sitges Film Festival. [7] [8] It was released in the Netherlands on 16 January 2025. [9]

Reception

In a review for RogerEbert.com , Simon Abrams gave the film two out of four stars, writing "there’s not much to Mr. K beyond its second-hand surrealism and strained counter-mythmaking", though he finds Glover believable in the titular role. [10]

Awards and nominations

YearFestivalCategoryNominee(s)Result
2024 Imagine Film Festival Méliès d’Argent for Best European Fantastic Film [11] Won
2024 Toronto International Film Festival Platform Award [12] Nominated
2024 Sitges Film Festival Best Motion Picture [13] Nominated
2024Isla Calavera Film FestivalBest Costume Design [14] Won
2025 Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival Vicious Cat for Best European Fantastic Film [15] [16] Won
2025 Fantasporto Audience Award [17] Won
2025 Netherlands Film Festival Golden Calf Best Production Design [18] Nominated
2025 Sitges Film Festival Méliès d'Or for Best European Fantastic Film [19] Won
2025Film Festival SongielettriciBest VFX/SFX [20] Won
2025Film Festival SongielettriciBest Director [21] Won

References

  1. "Mr. K". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  2. "Mr. K". LevelK, July 23, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Dalton, Ben (24 April 2023). "LevelK boards surrealistic drama 'Mr. K' as production wraps; unveils first look (exclusive)". Screen Daily .
  4. "Tallulah Schwab's surrealistic drama Mr. K in post-production". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  5. Lang, Brent (23 July 2024). "Toronto Film Festival Unveils Platform Lineup Featuring Rodrigo Prieto's 'Pedro Páramo,' Nacho Vigalondo's 'Daniela Forever' and More". Variety. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  6. Anthony D'Alessandro, "Atom Egoyan, Hur Jin-ho & Jane Schoenbrun To Preside Over TIFF Platform Jury; Sidebar Unveiled". Deadline Hollywood , July 23, 2024.
  7. "The 29th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List". Busan International Film Festival. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  8. Romero, Miguel Ángel (10 September 2024). "Sitges 2024 anuncia su programación definitiva: las mejores películas de terror que podremos ver este año". Cinemanía (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  9. Lattanzio, Ryan (16 August 2024). "Crispin Glover Is in Search of an Exit in the Kafkaesque 'Mr. K' — Watch the Trailer". Indiewire. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  10. "Mr. K movie review & film summary (2025) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  11. Festival daily #10: The winners of Imagine 2024, retrieved 9 November 2024
  12. Feature film Mr. K selected for Toronto International Film Festival
  13. Sitges 2024 – Best horror films
  14. Awards
  15. "Mr K wins Imagine". Nieuws.nl.
  16. "Mr K wins Grossmann". RTL Boulevard.
  17. Fantasporto – Audience Award
  18. Golden Calf Nominations
  19. Méliès d’Or
  20. Songielettrici
  21. Fantasporto – Songielettrici