In times of global crisis, the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies gather at the annual G7 summit, where they attempt to draft a provisional statement. A film by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson & Galen Johnson, starring Cate Blanchett, Roy Dupuis, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Charles Dance, Takehiro Hira, Denis Ménochet, Rolando Ravello, Zlatko Burić, and Alicia Vikander.

The Group of Seven (The G7) is an intergovernmental political and economic forum consisting of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since 1974, the Presidents and Prime Ministers of these nations have convened annually at formal summits to discuss and coordinate solutions to major global issues.

World leaders have gathered at Dankerode Castle in Germany for the G7 summit, where they will convene for three days to discuss and draft a provisional statement addressing the current crisis. The participants include Chancellor Hilda Ortmann of Germany (Cate Blanchett), Prime Minister Maxime Laplace of Canada (Roy Dupuis), Prime Minister Cardosa Dewindt of the United Kingdom (Nikki Amuka-Bird), President Edison Wolcott of the United States (Charles Dance), Prime Minister Tatsuro Iwasaki of Japan (Takehiro Hira), President Sylvain Broulez of France (Denis Ménochet), Prime Minister Antonio Lamorte of Italy (Rolando Ravello), President Jonas Glob of the European Council (Zlatko Burić), and President Celestine Sproul of the European Commission (Alicia Vikander).

As Chancellor Hilda Ortmann leads the G7 members and the press to the newly constructed summit gazebo, she makes an unexpected stop at a nearby archaeological dig site. There, she surprises everyone with a recently discovered bog body, which experts believe dates back to 2,000 years ago, in the Iron Age.

The Iron Age is recognized as the last of the three traditional ages of human technological development, which includes the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and finally, the Iron Age. It represents a major advancement in metallurgy, where iron began to replace bronze as the dominant material for tools and weapons due to its superior strength and availability. This era is generally defined as beginning around 1200 BCE and lasting until approximately 500 BCE, although these dates can vary by region. he Iron Age in Germany is generally divided into two main phases: the Early Iron Age (Hallstatt culture, approximately 800–450 BCE) and the Late Iron Age (La Tène culture, approximately 450–1 BCE).

During the talk, Maxime appears to be lost in his own thoughts, as if something is troubling him. When Hilda suggests he take a short walk to clear his head, Maxime excuses himself from the meeting. After Maxime leaves, Hilda reveals to the group that he is going to step down from his position. It appears that Maxime is involved in the carried interest scandal. Meanwhile, Maxime hears a growling noise from the distance, but he doesn’t tell anyone about it.

The group divides into three small working groups to draft the provisional statement: Tatsuro with Sylvain, Edison with Antonio, and Hilda, Cardosa, and Maxime together. During their discussions, Maxime rings the bell repeatedly, attempting to summon staff for more wine, but no one responds. Hilda grows increasingly aware that staff have been absent for an unusually long time. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind sweeps through the gazebo, scattering Tatsuro and Sylvain’s papers across the floor. Sylvain immediately rushes out to chase down the windblown documents.

Moments later, Sylvain returns, visibly frightened and covered in mud. He tells the group that while chasing the windblown papers, he passed the food preparation tent, which appeared to be abandoned by staff. In the process, he accidentally fell into the dig site, coating his clothes with the muddy remains of the excavated bog body. The group then realizes that none of their phones have reception. Cardosa becomes terrified when Sylvain claims that the bog body came to life and initially attacked him.

Bog people refer to the remarkably preserved human remains found in peat bogs, primarily in Northern and Western Europe. These bodies, dating back to the Iron Age and earlier, are preserved due to the anaerobic and acidic conditions of bogs, which inhibit decay. Many bog bodies exhibit signs of violent deaths, suggesting ritual sacrifices or executions.

Cardosa suggests they all should walk back to the château, but Sylvain insists that it’s no use because all the staff have mysteriously disappeared. Hilda believes there has been some kind of misunderstanding and suggests they should wait for the authorities to rescue them. Maxime becomes increasingly frustrated when Cardosa refuses to accompany him, as he is determined to find help. Abruptly, Maxime runs away into the woods by himself. Hilda, concerned for his safety, decides to follow him. In the isolated woods, their heightened emotions and mutual tension lead to an unexpected intimate encounter.

When Maxime and Hilda return to the gazebo, they discover that everyone is gone, and there are signs of a struggle. Maxime notices a scoop of mud on the table. Antonio approaches them and leads them into the woods, where everyone is hiding. Unable to return to the château, Hilda proposes a plan to make their way to a nearby pier, where a raft can take them through the marsh to the main highway.

However, during their journey, they stumble upon a bizarre ritualistic campfire in the middle of the woods, surrounded by zombie-like bog people. The group is startled when the campfire and the bog people suddenly vanish as if they were never there.

Written and directed by Canadian filmmakers Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson, Rumours is a horror comedy featuring a bizarre and confusing narrative. The satire is evident in the portrayal of a group of supposedly world leaders who obsess over nonsensical plans rather than taking meaningful action.

As the story progresses, the group encounters a series of surreal and absurd situations, including the reanimation of dead bog people who do little more than shuffle about without attacking anyone. This raises the question: what do the bog people represent? Their lack of hostility and slow movements are puzzling.

The group then stumbles upon a gigantic brain resembling an oversized human brain in the woods. Celestine Sproul appears and speaks in Finnish, sounding almost hilariously nonsensical. Again, I wonder about her purpose: why does she communicate in such cryptic messages?

The film is somewhat funny, but not enough to be memorable. It feels as though the film is trying to be many things but ultimately fails to achieve any of them. I’m unsure whether it wants me to take it seriously, given its heavy reliance on melodrama, gossip, uninteresting subplots, and the complex relationships among the G7 members.

At one point, I thought Astrid was going to reveal herself as an alien from outer space, but it turns out she is just an AI designed to trap pedophiles. But all she can do is send messages and respond. Sigh.

RUMOURS premiered at Festival de Cannes on 18 May 2024. The film received a limited theatrical release on 29 October in Canada by Elevation Pictures, and in the United States by Bleecker Street.