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At the 2026 Busan International Film Festival, a two-time Academy Award nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal presented her new short film, Effect of meat. Commissioned by Korean luxury car brand Genesis and described as celebrating Marilyn Monroe in what would have been its 100th anniversary, the short film premiered at Venice and is now slowly making the film festival rounds, with Gyllenhaal ready to discuss both it and its iconic, timeless subject.
At first glance, the idea of a luxury brand hiring a renowned filmmaker to make a short film about the biggest star Hollywood has ever seen may seem like a complicated, if not particularly exciting, way to sell a car. However, Effect of meat it is completely unrelated to Genesis; indeed, his main thematic interests lie not only in Monroe, but also in the two leading actresses at its center and, more importantly, in the nature of acting itself. It is interesting in and of itself that such a project could be the result of such a commission, but it could also mark a new way for filmmakers to realize their artespecially at a time when some of our biggest are having trouble finding the funding needed to make their dreams come true.
‘Flesh Impact’ is a perfect show for Ellen Burstyn
I’ll be honest, Effect of meat not at all what I expected. Described by Genesis as “a love letter to one of cinema’s most enduring icons,” the 17-minute short “honors Marilyn Monroe’s singular power to defy convention and captivate the world across generations.” Based on that description alone, you can hardly blame me for expecting… well, a car commercial. You know the type: a gorgeous actress drives a fancy car while talking about things like adventure and freedom and charting her course. It’s not surprising for top talent to take on these gigs, either – each Super Bowl features one Oscar winner or another in increasingly elaborate commercials full of gimmicks (this year, it was the Jurassic Park trio for Xfinity, and two years ago, it was Scorsese itself for Squarespace).
Imagine my surprise, then, when I found that place that I can only describe Ghost of Marilyn Monroea melancholy rumination on the nature of full acting, set mostly in a gloomy theater with a minimalist approach in every way imaginable. The car barely makes an appearance in the short term, appearing quickly at the beginning and end. Dakota Johnson plays a young Monroe, but she’s only used sporadically – if she has more than three minutes of total screen time, I’d be surprised. Instead, the entire focus is on Ellen Burstyn playing an older version of Monroe and she auditions for a director (Ghilin’s husband Peter Sarsgaard) and its assistant (The Pittand Spideh Moafi).
This is where things get really delicious. In fact, more than an acting tribute, and I dare say, more than a study of Monroe’s legacy, Effect of meat works best as a love letter to Ellen Burstyn. For starters, it’s a proper acting performance for the 93-year-old legend, to the point that, if Academy rules allowed it, I’d seriously consider him a contender in the Best Supporting Actor category; she is that good. Gyllenhaal’s tender, biting, angry performance gives her plenty of juicy material to explore, and the camera is completely captivated by her ghostly appearance, but it’s Burstyn’s sheer talent, her formidable screen presence, that makes the biggest impact. For most of the short, she stands alone on the stage, and we are moved by her: no gimmicks, no shouting, no need for bells and whistles.
What else would you expect from the woman who gave us Alice Hyatt, Chris MacNeil, and Sarah Goldfarb, other than her best? Through Burstyn, Gyllenhaal delivers a powerful indictment of actingor, in the director’s own words, “as we eat actors“There is no better subject than Monroe to deliver that message, and everyone involved understands it. Wisely, Burstyn and Gyllenhaal make this older version of Marilyn wise rather than silly: her tone is tired, but from accepting it rather than defeating it, and while the words themselves are angry, Burstyn’s voice is not. It is an amazing method that does Effect of meatactually a 17-minute monologue, a thoughtful and memorable final examination of it what it means to be a real star.
‘Meat Victory’ was always about Creative Freedom
When reporting Effect of meatGenesis was very open about their desire give Gyllenhaal complete creative freedom. From the beginning, the team aimed to have a writer-director to make the experience “even more authentic and even more unique.” Gyllenhaal was reluctant to accept the project, as he was largely unfamiliar with Monroe’s oeuvre and unsure whether she would have anything to add to her story. Eventually, she settled on a story about Marilyn “in between her big moments,” and the project evolved from there.
Now, yes, Gyllenhaal has been very open about Genesis’ request to use AI to turn Johnson into a younger Monroe, but she’s also been very clear about it they respect her decision not to do it once she dismissed the idea and opted for a more humane approach. At Busan, she delved further into it: “What I had to try to do was think about (Monroe’s) inner life, and covering Dakota’s face did the opposite.” So, what we have here is a company fully committed to supporting a filmmaker’s vision from top to bottom, both out of respect for Monroe and a true appreciation of the arts.
In fact, Genesis is already partnering with The Gotham Film & Media Institute to “provide terminal funding for three (3) NYC documentary/scripted films in the final stages of production and/or distribution.” The company is slowly getting more involved in the arts, already making a change further afield. Effect of meat. There is an active interest and desire to createand although it has begun with a short, it does not have to end there.
‘Flesh Effect’ could pave the way for new avenues of filmmaking
We live in a time when some of our geniuses can’t get enough money to bring their visions to life. John Waters has opened up about abandoning an adaptation of his novel Liarmouth due to lack of funding. Lily Wachowski she can’t get her $10 million thriller off the ground for similar reasons. Maybe Hollywood is slowly turning into a monopoly before our eyes, and many filmmakers may find their creative freedom limited. And yet, we also live in a time when a luxury brand is willing to indulge in a ghostly and introspective rumor of fame from a female writer-director, which begs the question: Is it time to look for alternative funding?
Then again, it’s not the same to finance a small-scale, 17-minute short compared to a $10 million thriller, but an abundance of funding sources has never been rare in Hollywood – there are several production companies involved in the average mid-budget film. for now, Genesis has no plans to enter another major productionchoosing to focus on existing film projects, including launching Effect of meat in honor of Marilyn Monroe’s centenary.” They’re also launching a short-term FYC campaign, and if they play their cards right, they could secure the nomination.
If the Oscars do indeed happen, and with the company’s proven interest in the arts, who’s to say that Genesis won’t return with another short film or, dare we say, something more ambitious? And who’s to say that other companies won’t see the opportunity in front of them and follow suit? Filmmaking has always been a flexible business: when the studio system collapsed, new studios emerged, and when their time in the sun ended, the indie boom of the 90s happened. Directors and writers always go where the money is, and if Hollywood doesn’t provide it, maybe other companies will. Genesis may be the first, but hopefully they won’t be the last.
