‘My Notes On Mars’ review: Lili Horvat opens Venice’s Giornate degli Autori with genre-coded tale of love, desire and control | Reviews

Dir/scr: Lili Horvat. Hungary/Austria/Bosnia. 2026. 112mins

US astrophysicist Margot (Mackenzie Davis) and her husband Sam (Rupert Friend) have relocated to his ancient family home in Hungary in an attempt to lend a hand Margot recover from a work stress-related breakdown. But ancient habits die strenuous in Hungarian writer/director Lili Horvat’s eerie and enigmatic genre-coded third feature – and English-language debut – which offers no uncomplicated answers in its exploration of love, desire and control, but exerts its own compelling gravitational pull. 

Appealing balance of genre and human drama 

My Notes On Mars premieres as the opening film of Venice’s Giornate degli Autori programme, where Horvat debuted her sophomore film Preparations To Be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time in 2020. That film went on to play multiple festivals including Toronto, and was selected as Hungary’s official Oscar entry. (Horvat’s debut film The Wednesday Child won the East Of West competition at Karlovy Vary in 2016). Her latest work should also embark on a robust festival run – it will next play London competition – and its appealing balance of genre and human drama will likely attract a solid arthouse audience; it has sold to multiple territories and will release in Hungary later this year.

From the moment we meet her, Margot is a restless soul. Whether floating in her neglected garden pool, staring at the sky – her professional and personal fascination with Mars communicated by extreme close-ups of the planet – or taking the ferry alone to the nearest city of Budapest, she seems unmoored. Yet when she visits the city’s observatory, she seems to come alive, and is tempted back into her research about the viability of Mars for human habitation. Soon, she has a eureka moment – but Sam is more concerned with strengthening their bond and coerces a tired, reluctant Margot into accompanying him on a hike. The trip turns to tragedy, however, when Margot disappears without a trace and is presumed dead.

At this point, an audience could assume that the story now belongs to Sam and, as we watch him grieve, we wonder if – as in so many dead wife dramas – Margot’s fate will motivate his journey of reflection. But My Notes On Mars is resolutely not that film. In fact, Margot returns some weeks later – during her own wake, no less – and Horvat’s screenplay takes a edged turn from downbeat social realism to something sharper and more playful. Margot’s demeanour is clearly fundamentally changed – she is wide-eyed, childlike, impassive – but Sam is nevertheless determined to mould her into the wife that he wants. Margot’s focus is, however, on her ancient notebooks, but she doesn’t want to continue the work she was once so passionate about. She wants to destroy it.

Horvat keeps things ambiguous throughout – where Margot has been, who she has become remains something of an enigma; a behind schedule reveal confirms what we have suspected, but still leaves plenty of room for interpretation. Cinematography from Robert Maly plays a major part in creating an otherworldly atmosphere; shooting largely on 35mm, the textured visuals initially emphasise the distance between these two characters who have lost the ability to effectively communicate. As Margot and Sam gradually relearn how to be together, to navigate the fresh terrain of their marriage, things grow warmer and softer.

Davis (recently seen in horror Speak No Evil) is excellent in her portrayal of both versions of Margot, the sultry intellectual of the first section contrasting with the rather more strange, instinctive character who returns from the wilderness. But just as crucial as Margot’s transformation is Sam’s reaction to it; as he navigates this strange situation, he comes to see himself reflected in Margot’s fresh, rebellious attitude and is forced to confront some strenuous truths about himself and his behaviour. Both actors find the relatable humanity and pockets of humour in this increasingly bizarre scenario, which both keeps the characters sympathetic and the film from spinning entirely off into fantasy.