The Twentieth Century (2019)

In the turn-of-the-century Toronto, 1899, Matthew Rankin's debut feature, The Twentieth Century, blends history and aesthetic abstraction to paint a phantasmagorical portrait of the early years of William Lyon Mackenzie King, a young aspiring politician dreaming of his destined Prime Ministership of Canada. This ambitious narrative plays audaciously with history, teetering on the edge of gonzo biographical exploration and riotous satire, offering a visually arresting spectacle that echoes the early cinema aesthetics of Guy Maddin. Daniel Beirne brilliantly embodies Mackenzie King as a cherubic figure brimming with manic ambition and naïvety, his political aspirations prophesied by his domineering mother, played by Maddin regular Louis Negin. Yet, as he finds himself ensnared in a romantic triangle between a British soldier and a French-Canadian nurse, his destiny seems to falter. Alongside this, he harbours an unconventional fetish for ladies' footwear, threatening to precipitate his downfall. Navigating through a perilous ice maze of political expectations, King faces the hawkish fantasies of a war-mongering Governor-General, played by a mustache-twirling Sean Cullen, and the utopian idealism of a Québécois mystic. His spirit shatters as he grapples with his personal and professional crossroads, struggling with profound depression and unconventional desires. This culminates in an epic confrontation between good and evil, where King realizes that disappointment may be his only key to survival in the impending 20th century. The Twentieth Century serves as a Heritage Minute from hell, a perverse parody of Canadian national identity that straddles the line between the bizarre and the sublime. From the political legacies of the Great White North to an ejaculating cactus, Rankin's film is a wild, audacious journey that redefines the biopic genre and will leave viewers pondering their own perceptions of history and national identity.

The Twentieth Century is a comedy movie featuring Dan Beirne and directed by Matthew Rankin.

The Twentieth Century is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Plex and Plex Player and it's also available on Fandor Amazon Channel, Night Flight Plus and OVID.

It is also possible to buy The Twentieth Century on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.