Mutt (film)

Mutt
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVuk Lungulov-Klotz
Written byVuk Lungulov-Klotz
Produced by
  • Vuk Lungulov-Klotz
  • Alexander Stegmaier
  • Stephen Scott Scarpulla
  • Jennifer Kuczaj
  • Joel Michaely
Starring
CinematographyMatthew Pothier
Edited byAdam Dicterow
Music by
  • James William Blades
  • Taul Katz
Production
companies
  • Strange Animal Entertainment
  • Mongoose Picture House
  • Aspire Studios
  • Lucky 12 Productions
  • Spark Features
Distributed byStrand Releasing
Release dates
  • January 23, 2023 (2023-01-23) (Sundance)
  • August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish

Mutt is a 2023 drama film directed, written and produced by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz in his feature directorial debut. It stars Lío Mehiel, Cole Doman, Alejandro Goic and MiMi Ryder.

The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2023, where actor Lío Mehiel won the Sundance Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Acting. This made Mehiel the first openly trans actor to win that award.[1]

It was released on August 18, 2023, by Strand Releasing.

Premise

In one day, Feña, a trans man, rekindles his relationships with his foreign father, his straight ex-boyfriend and his estranged younger half-sister after having lost touch with them since his gender transitioning.

Cast

  • Lío Mehiel as Feña, a trans man in his 20s
  • Cole Doman as John, Feña's straight ex-boyfriend
  • MiMi Ryder as Zoe, Feña's estranged younger half-sister
  • Alejandro Goic as Pablo, Feña's father
  • Sarah Herrman as Jenny, a young woman Feña meets in a night club who's also John's cousin
  • Jari Jones as Fiona, Feña's roommate
  • Jasai Chase Owens as Aidan, Feña's friend[2]
  • Ben Groh as Mark, Feña's friend[2]

Production

During the Deadline Studio panel at Sundance Film Festival, Lungulov-Klotz revealed that he wrote the script of Mutt six years prior and recalled the experience as "trying to place all of his fears in the film".[3] The principal photography began at the start of fall 2022.[4]

Release

Mutt had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, on January 23, 2023.[5] At the premiere, the film screened with open captions after jury walkout due to a captioning malfunction three days prior.[6] The film had its international premiere during the Generation 14plus program at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and won a Special Mention award.[7][8] In April 2023, Strand Releasing acquired distribution rights to the film.[9] It was released on August 18, 2023.[10]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10.[11]

Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter deemed Mutt as "one of the best films about post-transition adjustment".[12]

References

  1. ^ "The 15 Best LGBTQ+ Movies of 2023". www.out.com. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  2. ^ a b Kleinmann, James (January 24, 2023). "Sundance 2023 Film Review: Mutt ★★★★". The Queer Review. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  3. ^ Carey, Matthew (January 22, 2023). "Director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, Actor Lío Mehiel On Their Nuanced Portrayal Of Trans Experience In 'Mutt': "I Tried To Place All Of My Fears Into This Movie" – Sundance Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  4. ^ Tauer, Kristen (January 24, 2023). "MiMi Ryder Makes Her Own Sundance Debut". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 7, 2022). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Set With Ukraine War, Little Richard, Michael J. Fox, Judy Blume Docs; Pics With Anne Hathaway, Emilia Clarke, Jonathan Majors; More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  6. ^ Welk, Brian (January 21, 2023). "'Mutt' and 'A Thousand and One' to Screen with Open Captions in Sundance Premieres After U.S. Jury Walkout — Exclusive". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  7. ^ Azad, Navid Nikkhah (January 19, 2023). "Berlinale Generation 2023 – Tides of Hope". Deed News. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  8. ^ Azad, Navid Nikkhah (February 26, 2023). "Berlinale 2023 full list of award winners". Deed News. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  9. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (April 7, 2023). "Sundance Prizewinning Trans Drama 'Mutt' Finds North American Home With Strand Releasing (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  10. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (July 18, 2023). "'Mutt' Trailer: The Trans Day-in-the-Life Drama That Made History at Sundance". IndieWire. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  11. ^ "Mutt". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Felperin, Leslie (January 27, 2023). "'Mutt' Review: A Young Trans Man Tackles Multiple Crises in a Heartfelt Feature Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.