Australian cinema has never been afraid to embrace the strange. From outback nightmares to surreal comedies, some of the country’s most memorable films thrive on the unexpected. If the newly released teaser trailer for The Fox is any indication, writer-director Dario Russo is about to add another delightfully unhinged entry to that tradition.
Unveiled by Madman Entertainment and Causeway Films, The Fox arrives with a premise so wonderfully bizarre that it’s impossible not to be intrigued. What begins as a story about heartbreak and betrayal quickly spirals into a darkly comic folktale involving a talking fox, a magic hole and one man’s desperate attempt to create the perfect partner.
At the centre of the story is Nick, played by Jai Courtney, an affable but directionless heir to a wealthy rural family. After discovering that his fiancée Kori (Emily Browning) has been unfaithful, Nick finds himself confronted with an unusual opportunity for redemption. Capturing a rogue fox one evening, he is offered a deal by the cunning creature, voiced by Academy Award winner Olivia Colman. Spare the fox’s life and she will help save his relationship. The solution? Push Kori into a magical hole capable of transforming her into the perfect woman.
Naturally, things don’t go according to plan.
While the setup sounds like the punchline to an absurd joke, Russo appears to be using fantasy and satire to explore something far more universal. Beneath the talking animals and surreal mythology lies a cautionary tale about control, insecurity and the dangerous temptation to change others rather than confronting our own flaws.
It’s a theme that resonates throughout the teaser, which balances laugh-out-loud absurdity with an undercurrent of emotional unease. Russo has built his reputation on blending genre experimentation with offbeat humour, and The Fox looks poised to deliver both in equal measure.
The film also boasts one of the strongest Australian ensemble casts assembled this year. Alongside Courtney and Browning are Damon Herriman, Claudia Doumit, Zlatko Burić, Frankie J. Holden, Heather Mitchell, Peter O’Brien and Kim Gyngell. The supporting voice cast is equally impressive, featuring Sam Neill as The Magpie, Miranda Otto and Olivia Colman as the film’s manipulative and mysterious titular Fox.
Industry buzz around the project has been steadily building. Following its international premiere at SXSW Austin, The Fox was named one of Variety’s eight best films of the festival, an accolade that has only heightened anticipation ahead of its wider release. After premiering at the Adelaide Film Festival, the film is also set to screen at the Sydney Film Festival this June.
For Causeway Films, the production marks a notable shift in direction. Best known for acclaimed genre hits such as Talk To Me, The Babadook, Bring Her Back and the Sundance sensation Leviticus, the company is venturing into comedy territory for the first time. If the teaser is anything to go by, they’ve chosen a project that still retains the company’s signature taste for the unconventional.
Shot and produced in South Australia, The Fox fedels unmistakably Australian in both tone and sensibility. Russo’s blend of emotional honesty, surreal fantasy and razor-sharp humour creates something that appears entirely its own — equal parts fairy tale, relationship satire and existential comedy.
The fox may have all the answers, but trusting her could be the biggest mistake of all.
The Fox opens in Australian cinemas on 29 October 2026.