Peacock

Peacock, the debut feature of writer-director Bernhard Wenger, is an Austrian comedy whose screenplay he developed at Cannes' Cinéfondation program in 2020, inspired by real life "rent-a-friend" agencies. The film follows Matthias (Albrecht Schuch), who works at a rent-a-friend agency in Vienna and can expertly mimic any social role his clients need, as his personal life unravels the further he drifts from his own identity. The film had its world premiere in the Critics' Week section at the Venice Film Festival on August 30, 2024; Albrecht Schuch won Best Actor at the Austrian Film Awards. The film is Austria's official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Who it's for: anyone curious about an Austrian comedy, premiered at Venice, inspired by real rent-a-friend services, about a man who loses his own identity by adapting to everyone else's needs. Who it's not for: viewers looking for a clear, upbeat ending, since the film is an absurdist satire built on the loss of identity.