All of Us Strangers (2023)

[10]

Most films are designed with universal appeal to attract the widest possible audience. But some of the most powerful films you’ll ever see are the ones — the very rare few — written and directed with such specificity and targeted sincerity, that you feel like the creator shares a soul with you, revealing so much about you in their artful storytelling, that you’re left shattered and inspired.

All of Us Strangers is a film that left me devastated by holding up a mirror in myriad ways — in its broad strokes (“I know what it’s like to stop caring about yourself…”) as much as in its details (Patsy Cline and The Pet Shop Boys featured in the soundtrack). It’s superbly acted, gorgeously photographed, hauntingly scored, and profoundly written. I can’t possibly synopsize it without doing a severe misjustice. I can’t really even talk about a movie that hits this close to home without embarrassing myself.

I’ll just conclude by saying that this is the first “10 out of 10” I’ve reviewed in eight years. I’ll be reeling from this one for days, weeks, and months to come. I needed this film, and I’m so very grateful for it. This is the reason human beings tell stories. To connect with each other — and maybe, just maybe — change lives.

With Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, The Chumscrubber). Written and directed by Andrew Haigh (Looking). Based on a book by Taichi Yamada.