Among my most anticipated movies of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival was Theo Rhys’ feature directorial debut, Stuffed. Many might be intrigued by the cast, which pairs Killing Eve‘s Jodie Comer with Pillion‘s Harry Melling. Some might be curious about its logline: An isolated taxidermist seeks a willing volunteer to be her greatest piece yet, and finds a lonely man desperate to be remembered.
For me, Rhys hooked me back in 2021 with his short film, also titled “Stuffed,” which he expands here. Five years ago, I was a jury member for the Midnight shorts section of SXSW and was absolutely enchanted by Rhys’ 19-minute film, which not only blended romance and horror but was also a musical. I am proud to be part of the committee that awarded it a special honor at the festival, and I squealed with excitement to see he’d finally built it out into a feature. But how did this expanded version go over? Divisively.
At the press and marketing screening, folks walked out throughout Stuffed, which is not uncommon at a festival, where attendees have many different reasons to give a film a go. But the pronounced flock who fled after a close-up of a dead poodle being flayed suggested that Rhys’ musical was too much for some. I experienced this spectrum firsthand: On my left, a fellow critic howled with laughter throughout the darkly funny film, while on my right, a stranger frequently covered his eyes, letting out low groans.
As for me, I was elated to see Rhys’ vision come to life, even if the results were at times more scrappy than sensational.
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