Danny Boyle's 'Ink' opens Venice Film Festival to positive reviews

Danny Boyle’s new film Ink, a dramatization of the birth of Britain’s modern tabloid press, opened the 2026 Venice Film Festival on Wednesday, September 2, to largely positive reviews from critics. The movie, which chronicles the partnership between media mogul Rupert Murdoch and editor Larry Lamb to launch The Sun in 1969, has been praised for its energetic direction and strong lead performances, though some reviewers noted its narrative momentum slows in the second half. The film stars Jack O’Connell as the ambitious editor Larry Lamb and Guy Pearce as a young Rupert Murdoch. Claire Foy also appears as Lamb’s deputy editor and wife. Based on James Graham’s stage play, the screenplay charts how the duo acquired the struggling newspaper and transformed it into a sensationalist powerhouse, sparking a fierce rivalry with the established Daily Mirror and reshaping the British media landscape. Early critical reception has been strong. The film holds a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 12 reviews and an 80 “generally favorable” score on Metacritic.