Fantastic Film Fest 2025 Review - Mr. K

Images courtesy of Original Spin.

Throughout history, the term ‘Kafkaesque’ has been used to refer to works inspired by famed Jewish Austrian-Czech author Franz Kafka. These stories primarily feature protagonists who find themselves in surreal, oppressive and nightmarish settings, presented through a mix of realism and fantasy. This description fittingly applies to the film Mr. K (the title is the first of many references to Kafka), a strange and bold homage to the literary figure. 

Mr. K (Crispin Glover) is a travelling magician who performs at clubs where the diners are more concerned with their food and conversations than what he is doing on stage. Needing a place to stay for the night, he heads to a grand but rundown estate, planning to leave in the morning in order to make an appointment. As Mr. K is checked in by a strange lady behind the desk and led to his room, both the elegance and decay of the building can be seen. Even though he unexpectedly finds a man under his bed and a maid in his closet (who both wordlessly leave after being discovered), the magician still decides to spend the night, despite the strange occurrence. In the morning, as Mr K. tries to leave, he cannot find the hotel exit. Walking around, the corridors become an endless maze with no destination. Weird noises ring through the walls and children scurry around. Finally, a marching band seems to come out of the wall and push Mr. K deeper and deeper into the building. Realising that he cannot leave, he navigates rooms and staircases to find answers. However, this only leads to finding more bizarre inhabitants of the hotel and being pulled further into this eccentric world.

From the get-go, Mr. K is full of intrigue and mystery. As soon as the magician steps into the building and interacts with the first strange character he encounters, a creepy and eerie atmosphere is conjured up. There’s nothing overly threatening about his surroundings and company, but something immediately feels off-kilter. This builds up as Mr. K further explores the hotel, made up with furniture, walls and surroundings belonging to an autumnal colour scheme of green and brown. The production design and camerawork creates the illusion of a neverending architectural labyrinth, and is utilised effectively as a function to push the story forward. With every new door Mr. K opens come more quirky and offbeat characters, making for a slightly deranged Alice in Wonderland-type adventure. The worldbuilding is undeniably strong, and the casting of character-actor Glover fits perfectly with the weird and wonderful style of the film.

However, it is the concept that is more intriguing, rather than the execution. While the first half of the film promises a satisfying revelation by the conclusion, it never comes. Instead, the second half unravels into something very disjointed and messy (and not with the intended ‘Kafkaesque’ effect). Audiences will be struggling to find answers as the film loses sight of what made it so captivating in the beginning. There’s certainly some kind of social commentary about politics and hierarchies, but it is too ambiguous to clearly comprehend, and the ending takes a complete turn that will leave viewers more confused than enlightened.

Mr. K is ambitious, imaginative and impressive, but the setup is unfortunately better than the payoff. 

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Mr. K is screening as part of Fantastic Film Festival Australia 2025. The festival runs from the 24th of April to the 16th of May. Check out the festival website for tickets and more info here.