‘The Idiot(s)’ is reviewed by outlets as a film that focuses on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s marriage rather than the author alone. At the center are Aimee Lou Wood and Johnny Flynn as a couple whose time in Germany becomes the backdrop for the story. A Telluride premiere is noted, with Vicky Krieps also starring.
The movie follows the couple’s tumultuous period in Germany, during which Dostoevsky writes one of his major works. Both reviews characterize the film as playful and surreal, drawing on dark comedy to present the relationship and the stresses surrounding it.
While IndieWire finds the film engaging and “brilliantly strange,” it says the production sometimes struggles to make the couple’s suffering feel clearly meaningful. In contrast, The Hollywood Reporter emphasizes the performances of Lou Wood and Flynn and describes the film as a sparkling, indulgent tribute to Dostoevsky’s wife, highlighting how the approach centers on her story within the broader literary context.
