All of Us Strangers | Review by: Gal Balaban

 

In Andrew Haigh's latest drama, Andrew Scott plays a screenwriter comfortable with his loneliness who finds his parents appearing to live just as they were 30 years ago right before their deaths, recounting childhood memories and past emotions in the process.

Scott gives a deeply profound and vulnerable performance as a man coming to terms with his parents' place in his life, in a way true to the human experience through the eyes of a man coming out. He makes you believe everything he's going through and digs deep into the character's past to show you his journey into the present. Claire Foy is also a highlight of the film as a flawed yet loving mother whose shortcomings coexist with her immense warmth. Scott also has great chemistry with Paul Mescal, and their scenes together feel very intimate and delicate, establishing the graceful tone Haigh was going for.

The concept for the film is excellent and delivered well, though some of the conversations slow down, which is forgivable compared to a jarring plot twist that goes entirely against the themes that the film was so gracefully building towards. Despite this counterintuitive ending, the film does have something to say about the queer experience, parental relationships, and moving forward from loneliness.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review by: Gal Balaban