TIFF '25: "The Captive" and "Hedda"
Capsule reviews of two period dramas involving queer characters in a web of seduction and scheming.
For this capsule write-up, I’ve decided on two films I caught on my second to last day back-to-back that have a similar theme: Period dramas about queer protagonists involved in scheming and seduction, whether it’s within a form of monarchy or simple aristocracy. The first film managed to be the best surprise out of the fest while the other was one of my most anticipated 2025 releases.
The Captive:
Inspired by the life of Miguel de Cervantes (played by Julio Peña), the author of Don Quixote, Alejandro Amenábar’s The Captive follows him as an ex-soldier being held prisoner in 1575 Algiers. As Miguel plots his escape with the help of his fellow captives, he then catches the eye of the monarchic Hasan (Alessandro Borghi), honing his skills as a storyteller in the process.
As much as Miguel demonstrates his penchant for storytelling as a way of inspiring his fellow captives as well as Hasan, it’s also used as a ploy for maintaining his position as Hasan’s consort. Miguel’s blend of ingenuous idealism and sly opportunism also perfectly shines through in the central performance by Julio Peña. With just his expressive face, Peña conveys how Miguel is a man constantly at odds with himself, enjoying the occasional freedom that being under Hasan’s wing offers him while being eager to confront anyone who might get in his way, even if it’s Hasan himself.
Julio Peña stars as famed author Miguel de Cervantes in Alejandro Amenábar’s “The Captive.”
Miguel’s conflict isn’t made easy by the burgeoning romantic bond between him and Hasan who appears genuinely supportive of Miguel’s storytelling endeavors and who’s played amazingly by Alessandro Borghi. When he first enters the film, Hasan exudes the veneer of a domineering monarch right down to the way he hoists his robe. Yet, there proves to be as much an earnestness and yearning in his eyes as there is a need to maintain being an aloof ruler. Along with Julio Peña, it is Alessandro Borghi’s performance that helps give this engaging biographical drama both its soul and simmering erotic charge. Lastly, bonus points for its rich cinematography by DP Alex Catálan.
Grade: A-
Hedda:
After stepping into the franchise machine with Candyman and The Marvels, and frankly receiving unnecessary flack for the latter, writer/director Nia DaCosta continues to show both critics and audiences her dynamic film making prowess with the costume drama Hedda. Based on the famed play Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, Hedda is a near-powder keg of a chamber drama with lush production and killer performances.
Set over the course of one night, the titular anti-heroine (played by Tessa Thompson) hosts a party with her husband George Tesman (Tom Bateman) that gradually becomes a cesspool for sly double-crossing and seduction. When Hedda’s old classmate Thea (Imogen Poots), who she a rocky history with, arrives as the party begins, the entrance of Hedda’s former lover Eileen (Nina Hoss) only ignites an electric fuse at the gathering due to Thea’s current romantic involvement with her.
As someone unfamiliar with the source material, I can’t speak to how faithful the performers are to the characters they play. But what I can say is that the two central actresses, Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss, are exemplary. As the title character, Tessa Thompson is venomous perfection, exuding charisma as someone who relishes in the chaos she helps ignite. Meanwhile, as the spirited yet frail Eileen, Nina Hoss matches Thompson’s magnetic energy beat-for-beat. Given how it’s a stark contrast to her more intricate work in films like Tár and Phoenix, Hoss’ work only proves her as one of cinema’s most captivating actresses working today.
When you pair the two central dynamite performances with claustrophobic cinematography by Sean Bobbitt that makes expert use of the story’s limited setting, as well as a tense score by Oscar winner Hildur Guðnadóttir, you get a sensational filmmaking showcase that loses slight momentum as it tries finding a proper conclusion yet remains Nia DaCosta’s best film since her feature debut Little Woods.
Grade: B+
Both The Captive and Hedda screened at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. The Captive is currently seeking U.S. distribution and Hedda will be released in select theaters on October 22nd before streaming on Prime Video on October 29th.