“Judy & Punch,” a peculiar and unsettling fairy tale set in a dark period, offers an insightful perspective (and a striking assertion) regarding sex and violence within popular entertainment, alongside the swiftness with which collective anxiety can escalate into brutality. This unusual story involving puppets, domestic abuse, homicide, witchcraft, and retribution draws from the traditional 16th-century Punch and Judy puppet show. Writer/director Mirrah Foulkes delivers it effectively, imbuing the narrative with a humorous, melancholic, and contemporary feminist viewpoint. Life is difficult in Seaside, where residents spend their evenings at the marionette theater operated by Punch (Damon Herriman), who considers himself the “greatest puppeteer,” and his wife Judy (Mia Wasikowska), who possesses the genuine skill within the family. The performances are unsophisticated and the content sexist, lacking refinement, as a male puppet attacks other puppets—including female ones—with a fist, a stick, or whatever is available. As the audience cheers, the onstage violence becomes increasingly harsh and frequent – ultimately bleeding into the couple’s personal life. Punch, an abusive drunk who uses both words and physical force, disregards his wife's talent for the theater and instead demands that she give the crowd what they desire: “the punchy and the smashy.” It’s a harmful cycle of art mirroring reality, and vice versa. The film functions well as a contemporary critique of superstition (where villagers regularly hang and stone individuals suspected of witchcraft), the underlying harshness present in many people, the way indifference has replaced customary kindness, and the frequently hazardous influence of public sentiment. The dark humor serves as an intelligent disguise for a story that, when examined closely, is deeply sad and disturbing. It’s also a powerful feminist tale of revenge, made all the more compelling by Wasikowska's exceptional performance (she consistently chooses intriguing roles). The film does suffer from some lengthy sections that seem unnecessary and impede the narrative flow, but ultimately this story about male aggression and female strength is an intelligent and cynical commentary on present-day society.

Source on TMDB