Fox Searchlight
The 2024 Oscar nominating speech were announced near a month ago , with very few surprises in the lineup . There werethe usual snubs and surprises , although the whole affair was remarkably predictable considering the story formed by that point in awards season . Even so , there was a truly heartbreaking deletion across every major category , and that was Andrew Haigh ’s powerful , sorrowful fantasy dramaAll of Us Strangers .
Now , do n’t get me wrong . Few , if any , of us were expectingAll of Us Strangersto make the cut — it ’s too placid , too insightful , and too esoteric for the Academy ’s tastes . The thing is , it should ’ve utterly rule the ceremonial occasion . It might not be an exaggeration to call it the best moving picture of the year , give or take aPoor Things . And while the Academy paidAll of Us Strangersno mind , you really should n’t . It ’s a forward-looking chef-d’oeuvre deserving of your time and admiration , and I ’m about to tell you exactly why .
Fox Searchlight
The superb acting
All of Us Strangersfeatures a Little Joe of gripping performances that went below the belt neglect throughout awards season . In a career - definingperformance that rank among the best of 2023 , Andrew Scott is brilliant as Adam , a fortysomething writer who lead an isolated life in London . This is rich , profoundly bear on study from one of the most underrated actors in the business . Adam is an open wound that never quite bleeds , but has never really close , and Scott beautifully captures the pain and longing within . He ’s not break up , but the whirl are usher .
Paul Mescal ’s Harry is the unadulterated companion for Adam ’s tale , with Mescal complementing Scott ’s melancholy carrying out perfectly . However , it ’s Claire Foy and Jamie Bell as Adam ’s parent who often dominate the cinema . All of Us Strangersis a account about unexpressed feelings and unspoken words ; Bell and Foy are mesmerizing in the function of two people who died before they learned how to be parent . Their work is haunting and piercing .
A unique take on the fantasy genre
When one thinks of the fantasy musical style , trope of firedrake , castle , princesses , and medieval options will often fall to listen . Magic , adventure , and the eternal fight of commodity versus evil are other common elements inthe best fantasy movies . However , themes like grief , pain , red , forlornness , and hungriness are seldom seen in fantasy , and if they are addressed , they hardly ever take the glare .
Yet , here comesAll of Us Strangers , a genre film that finds a clear-cut balance between its phantasy sensibility and a general story about the constant craving so many of us can easily empathise . Although it remain securely striking , All of Us Strangersisn’t afraid to squeeze its phantasy roots , presenting an arcane story of the supernatural adherence that bind us , whether we know it or not .
The soul-piercing message
lonesomeness is a tricky business . It ’s arduous to explain and even concentrated to sympathise . All of Us Strangersnever tries to ; it ’s not interested in it , but rather capture by it . The picture show is about feelings we ca n’t often explicitly define , but that we notice within . The characters exist in a state of stasis , caught between memories , emotion , and realms , yet their feelings endure , like the warmth of a tender hand or the consolation of a loving embracing .
All of Us Strangersis a remarkable plastic film . It ’s a narration about profound sorrow and do-or-die longing , yes , but also about the unique strength of owning those feelings and accepting them as part of your being . Few films have the power to thrust the mortal and carve a berth of their own deep within their audience . This is one of them . It ’s cathartic , cosmopolitan , confronting , and deeply rewarding , a singular wake experience that will not leave your side once you ’ve allowed it in .
All of Us Strangerswill be available for rent or purchase on February 22 .
