“My Notes on Mars,” written and directed by Lili Horvát, premieres at the Venice Film Festival and centers on an American astrophysicist whose return to her husband is tied to her own disappearance and memorial. The film stars Mackenzie Davis and Rupert Friend as a couple whose relationship is tested through confusion about identity and memory, with a sci-fi framework driving the mystery.
Across reviews, the core setup is described as compelling: the astrophysicist vanishes in the Hungarian mountains and reappears on the day of her memorial, apparently not recalling her circumstances. Both outlets characterize the film as blending relationship drama with science-fiction elements, using the couple’s emotional dynamics to explore questions of trauma, love, and what makes a person recognizable. However, they diverge in emphasis. The Hollywood Reporter highlights the film’s clever construction and its resonance with contemporary anxieties, while Variety describes the overall effort as an “imperfect breakdown” in which the story’s momentum and resolution do not fully sustain early promise.
