All of Us Strangers is not a classic fantasy film. Rather, it is a film that uses its supernatural starting point to get to the heart of human truths. A queer love story that speaks to the emotional world of all viewers, and not just during Pride Month. This highlight came to Disney+ * just 2 months after its theatrical release. Don’t miss out on this intense film experience.
All of Us Strangers unfolds the calm before the emotional storm on Disney+
Adam (Sherlock villain Andrew Scott) works as a screenwriter in All of Us Strangers and lives alone in his apartment in an otherwise almost uninhabited London high-rise. The fact that he lost his parents in a car accident as a boy only underlines his lostness. Only the meeting with his equally lonely neighbor Harry (Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal) could lead Adam’s life in a new direction. But then he visits his childhood home for research purposes, where he unexpectedly meets his actually dead parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell).
Disney
All of Us Strangers
All of Us Strangers doesn’t offer an explanation for this. Are they ghosts or have they fallen out of time? Instead of trying to solve the fantasy mystery or question it, Adam prefers to use the miracle of the reunion as a second chance. After his parents were suddenly taken from their lives 30 years ago, the now grown man is making up for what the loss had previously denied him: his coming out as well as the ability to talk about past hurts and moments of happiness. By working through this relationship with his parents, Adam finally opens up to a closer relationship with his neighbor Harry.
All of Us Strangers presents itself in its dreamy images, quiet conversations and haunting acting performances as quiet film, but not as light fareThe emotional impact of the story gradually unfolds with new, unexpected twists and turns.
The fantasy film is a queer highlight that touches everyone
British filmmaker Andrew Haigh (45 Years) knows how to pour humanity into images and dialogues. His credible portrayal of the queer experience makes All of Us Strangers something special. The magic inherent in the film is further enhanced by the fact that it is a Audience of all orientations appeals and unites.
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All of Us Strangers: Adam & Harry
After the release of All of Us Strangers, gay men repeatedly spoke (for example in The Conversation magazine) about how much Haigh’s cinematic observations reflected their own experiences. I am not a gay man myself and therefore cannot pass judgment on this. But the fantasy drama attracted me as a
intense emotional experience
captivates like no other film this year. Why? Because the story finds commonalities for all viewers in the smallest gestures and observations.
Because All of Us Strangers, interwoven with its queer love story, also captures the universal themes of grief and loneliness moving. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one will be able to understand Adam’s feelings at the ghostly meeting of his parents. Anyone who has ever felt alone will resonate with Adam and Harry’s seclusion. All it takes is a single lighted window here and a song sung along to there to illuminate the characters’ innermost emotions. Ultimately, however, romantic impulses and familial feelings can be broken down to one common denominator: “love”.
The ghost story of All of Us Strangers does not need any effects-heavy fantasy bombast to resonate for a long time. Its effects are the emphatically evoked feelings. It is therefore a deeply human film highlightwhich opens up the painfully beautiful compassion for a shared experience.