All of Us Strangers

The Academy Awards may have ignored All of Us Strangers, but that doesn't mean I have to. Andrew Haigh's romantic drama just debuted on Hulu today after its extremely limited release in December. What did they miss?

This and The Zone of Interest both have something in common; they're both based on novels by recently deceased authors. Said novel is Taichi Yamada's Strangers, which was already filmed as 1988's The Discarnates. Yamada died at 89 just weeks before this film came out. Whereas the original novel was a horror story in Tokyo, Haigh's adaptation is a melancholic love story in London. Let's get on to it.

Cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay gives us a memorable introduction to its protagonist, Adam (Andrew Scott). We first see London, before Adam fades in behind his flat window, as he surveys the city. Already, we can tell that he's quite lonely. He's so lonely that his apartment building only has one other tenant. That tenant, Harry (Paul Mescal), offers to accompany him one night, but he declines. Adam is a TV writer, but he has writer's block so bad that his latest teleplay is stuck on a single logline. He goes back to his childhood home for inspiration.

 He finds his mom & dad (Jamie Bell & Claire Foy) are still around, which is awkward because they've been dead since the eighties. They don't look a day older, but they recognize him years later. Adam and his ghost parents spend quality time together. He even comes out to them, which they accept with a bit of surprise. His spirits are lifted after he begins a relationship with Harry. There's a bright future with Harry, though he's still stuck in the past with his parents. How will he move on? Is there also something Harry wants to tell us?

The film doesn't dwell on things like why the ghost parents are around. They're just there to reconnect with their much-older son, who probably couldn't care less on the why's and how's. You'll be enthralled as the family sorts things out together. They get some of their best scenes together when Adam comes out to them. Ghost Mom fears the lonely life Adam will lead because of his orientation, even though he assures her that things are slightly better these days. Ghost Dad, meanwhile, apologizes for his lack of sympathy back then. This is a family metaphorically stuck together in the past and they only move on when Adam accepts their deaths. 

We feel Harry's dejection after Adam initially rejects him. His drunken confidence during their first meeting gives way to a lifetime of loneliness as he rides the elevator down. Things get much brighter when the two of them finally connect. Scott and Mescal have such great chemistry as they bond over their shared loneliness. You'll be happy for them as they find happiness with each other. That makes the climactic twist I alluded to earlier all the more devastating. If I haven't alluded to all ready, I must state that Bell, Foy, Mescal and Scott all make up an excellent ensemble. There's nothing wrong with their performances.

If you're not moved by All of Us Strangers the first time you watch it, then I'm sure you'll get it the second time. I'm sure you'll even feel something just thinking about it. Its tender story is accentuated by its soft colors and Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch's score. You'll never get bored watching its small cast throughout its 104-minutes. It's a pity that the Academy ignored it, but that's probably because of the wealth of other contenders. Press Play on Hulu for a unique love story. Need I say more?