I'm usually drawn to movies that challenge me to relate to a perspective that's different from my own, so this movie's theme and approach intrigued me right from the start. It's essentially a character study about a gay man who's trying to escape a life of loneliness and alienation explored through the relationship with his dead parents and a love interest played by Paul Mescal. All four of the performances are excellent, this will probably be the defining role of Andrew Scott's career and his performance being overlooked by the Academy doesn't sit well with me. There's so much authentic detail in his body language, manner of speech and eye movement that deserves to be recognized because it carries the entire film. I was really impressed by the scenes between him, Bell and Foy, illustrating that while times have changed for the better, his character is still an outsider to society. Those scenes probably won't work for everyone (you could call them out for being shallow as it's all a product of his imagination), but I was very moved by the eventual pay-off. The film's answer to its central question of alienation I found a little less satisfying, as it struck me as too obvious. The final shot and needle drop in particular spell things out too much, though the scene leading up to that moment pulls off a satisfying final twist. The technical aspects of the film are easily among its biggest selling points. It's a great vibe movie, one of the best I've seen in a while. The colour and lighting create a feeling of intimacy that sometimes leans in the direction of sensuality, while other times feeling more comforting or nostalgic. It's because of that approach that the film doesn't come off as dreary, the inherent sadness always feels understated. Aside from the aforementioned scene I think the music choices are all great (loved the use of Death of a Party by Blur), however the droning score was a little bland by comparison. It's the right kind of score given the kind of film that it is, but they could've done so much more with the textures. Still, this is a really good film that I expect to remembered as more people discover it. Its appeal might seem niche, but the emotion is universally relatable.

7.5/10

Jaw-droppingly intimate and sensitive. Be prepared to be wrecked - the whole theater was shaking with sobs at points.

Beautifully and specifically queer. I've never on screen seen gay sex that *felt* this much like gay sex. The texture of it. There's a brief, funny, inter-micro-generation terminology convo that if you are LGBTQ of a certain age, you've had. There are two coming out conversations with lines that I swear are plagiarized from my life. There's a delightful subversion, in an early scene, of cruising, that achieves a cocktail of funny and sweet and sad that returns throughout the film (most notably in a moment where a 48-year-old Adam climbs into bed with his parents wearing a 12-year-old's pajamas). The exploration of how things can be so much better than 1987 but still not fine, and the ways the not-okayness of 1987 is still with us, especially in the psyches of folks that were there… so relatable and such a rare and subtle theme.

There is a final twist that, while devastating, does some real damage to Adam's character and, in my opinion, the emotional impact of the movie. [spoiler]Investing incredibly deeply in a fantasy of a relationship with a neighbor that didn’t happen is creepy where imagining you can talk to your dead parents again is sweet and sad. We know early on that the interactions with Adam’s parents aren’t a part of conventional reality and that doesn’t diminish any of their emotional impact, but the romantic relationship being unreal cheapens it.[/spoiler]

This last emotional gutting felt unnecessary and unearned to me: it makes me hesitant to recommend the movie, despite how much it affected me, despite the impeccable execution. A friend who saw the movie with me and didn’t personally relate to as many of the queer culture touchpoints felt emotionally manipulated, and I get that. But aside from the last few minutes, my experience of the movie was near-perfect.

So, I caught "All of Us Strangers" over the weekend - Andrew Haigh's latest. And man, it's like everyone's been talking about this one. The whole vibe of the film, the way it looks and feels, it's just... there's something about it. And Andrew Scott, I mean, come on, the guy's a genius. From his days as Moriarty to now, he just nails it every time.

But, okay, here's the thing. The whole storyline with the protagonist's parents being gone from the get-go... it kind of just set this tone, you know? Like, you could see where it was headed, and it sort of took the wind out of the sails for me. Even when Paul Mescal's character took that dark turn, I wasn't shocked. It felt like the movie was laying it on thick with the whole trauma angle, without giving us that light at the end of the tunnel kind of vibe.

Now, don't get me wrong, the acting across the board was top-notch. Critics have been saying the same, pointing out how everyone in this film just brings their A-game, making these really intense emotions feel super real​​​​. And the whole thing about Adam trying to connect with his past, with his parents, I get that it's deep, it's moving. But for me, it was like, where's the hope, you know? After everything, you kind of want to see a glimmer of something good on the horizon.

So, yeah, it's a beautiful film, no doubt. The colors, the shots, the performances, especially Scott – it's all there. But by the end, I was left feeling a bit... I don't know, empty? Like we went through all these emotions, but for what?

Rating it? I'd say a solid 6 out of 10. It's worth watching for the performances alone, and there's definitely something haunting about it that sticks with you. But just be ready for that heavy vibe, without much to lift you up by the end.

"Adam" (Andrew Scott) lives a rather lonely life atop a London tower block where he is struggling to write a new book. He's obviously had some success before, but right now he spends much of his time in front of the television watching video-taped editions of the BBC's "Top of the Pops" music programme. A fire alarms sends him onto the street where he espies the only other person living in their brand new building - who didn't bother to evacuate. Back upstairs that man knocks on his door, introduces himself as "Harry" (Paul Mescal) and suggests a night cap - with benefits! "Adam" declines and next day takes a train, goes for a walk and appears to pick up a man in a park. He follows him, they rendezvous outside an off-licence and we discover that this is actually his dad (Jamie Bell) who takes him home to his mum (Claire Foy) where they share a drink and a fond reminisce. He goes home and again bumps into "Harry" and we begin to sense that there is a smouldering chemistry between these two men that is slow-burning, but potent. In the course of their chat - one of those first date, polite, conversations about getting to know each other when you really just want to get on with some "furious jumping" - we discover something rather startling about his parents and this news completely recalibrates the story as the two men gradually see their relationship evolve and we learn a great deal more about what has led "Adam" to his current life of introspection and isolation. On many levels this is about intimacy. Sure, between the two men, but also between him and - separately and together - his parents and himself as we all embark on quite a poignant journey of discovery that doesn't shy away from issues of sexual and personal identity, (largely benign) ignorance and of longing. Not just physical longing, but psychological longing too. At times it reminded me of Haigh's must less sophisticated "The Weekend" (2011) in that it puts together two men in a closely knit scenario where neither know the other, both are distinctly different in personality and the conversational dialogue is plausible and relevant. The denouement takes a bit of getting used to - it's left field but then it isn't - before all fits quite neatly if disturbingly at the end. I've always been a fan of the ballsy Jamie Bell - and he delivers engagingly and emotionally here as does an on-form Mescal who again shows his acting diversity as the deliverer of character parts with, here, the perfect foil to the under-stated performance from Scott whose persona is about as enigmatic as I have seen. It benefits from a second viewing, and is most definitely not the slushy boy meets boy romance you might expect. Good soundtrack too - Frankie's "The Power of Love" sounds superb with cinema sound...

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/all-of-us-strangers-bfi-london-film-festival-review/

"All of Us Strangers is, without a doubt, overwhelmingly emotional and brutally devastating. Andrew Haigh explores childhood trauma and the protagonist's complex grieving process through countless memorably powerful, thought-provoking dialogues, performed brilliantly by the entire cast, especially Andrew Scott.

The background music by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch creates an ideal melancholic atmosphere for the heavy, heartbreaking narrative, but the songs chosen for the final phase of the film will induce thousands of tears worldwide.

It occasionally loses its thematic focus, and it's unlikely to be watched again anytime soon, but it's even more improbable to be forgotten."

Rating: B+