Review of Asteroid City (2023) by Moviemitch96 — 28 Jun 2023

The unmistakably quirky Wes Anderson's latest film brings together yet another star-studded ensemble cast to tell a story set within a play about a 50s-esque small little desert town that finds itself under quarantine following an alien encounter and other unusual occurrences.

I always find myself delighted whenever I get to see a new Wes Anderson film, being quite a fan of his unique style, sets, and quirky characters, worlds, and mannerisms. And even if I ever find myself a bit disappointed or not as impressed with a certain film of his, I always have fun watching him and his films due to just how unique and unmistakable his trademark and charm is.

Such is the case with this film, as I found myself a bit more disenchanted with him than I usually am. This is probably mostly due to how narratively abstract and all over the place the film felt at times.

Being that this film's story is set within a play, and the film's editing consistently switches back and forth between the story of said play and the actors and behind the scenes sequences that are shot in black and white, it all just felt a bit too muddled to me at times.

By the film's (and play's) literal third act, I felt as though it had lost just about all of its sense of direction for better or worse. On the flipside however, the entire cast is a hoot to watch, with way too many big names and great performances to single out just a handful.

The colorful sets and idiosyncratic dialogue throughout are all unmistakably Wes as well, which I wouldn't have had any other way. Overall, narratively speaking, it easily felt like Anderson's messiest film, but when you enjoy the man and his films as much as I do, it's hard to fault him too much.

Besides, the cast and colorful sets and writing/dialogue all keep it plenty entertaining and should satisfy most other Anderson fans as well, though it will hardly win any newcomers to his style over.