Summary
- Wes Anderson’s latest film, Asteroid City, takes audiences on a mind-bending adventure with a star-studded cast and a unique storytelling style.
- The movie explores the impact of quarantine on its characters while infusing the story with oddity and sci-fi elements.
- Asteroid City offers an abstract approach to processing global pandemic themes and leaves audiences reevaluating the film they just experienced.
Asteroid City, Wes Anderson’s latest film, is stacked with big-name Hollywood powerhouse actors that take audiences on a mind-bending adventure. The movie oscillates between the televised production of the in-universe play Asteroid City, which is in vivid color, and the behind-the-scenes of the television special, which is shown in black and white. The play follows a number of characters who are visiting a town for the Junior Stargazer Convention.
However, they are unexpectedly quarantined in the town when an alien appears and takes a sample of the meteorite that left the Asteroid City crater. With romance, secrets, and grief swirling in close quarters, Asteroid City delves into each character and the impact of the quarantine they are under, while the actors at times struggle with their portrayals. Audiences can check out Asteroid City on digital or video on demand now and pick up a copy on Blu-ray or DVD on August 15.
More About Asteroid City
In Screen Rant’s exclusive clip stars Maya Hawke and Rupert Friend discuss Wes Anderson’s storytelling style in Asteroid City. Friend keeps his cards close to his chest, hesitant to share details in fear of spoiling the movie, and urges audiences to allow Anderson to use his storytelling mastery to bring them on this journey. Hawke also explains how Asteroid City allowed her to process the global pandemic and years of quarantine in an abstract way.
Anderson finds a way to explore the effects of quarantine without delving into the heaviness of the pandemic, instead taking a unique and, as Hawke expresses, abstract approach. Asteroid City digs into how the quarantine impacts each of the characters but adds the alien element that infuses the story with oddity and sci-fi as well as a concern for external danger. Asteroid City is the classic Anderson movie with a truly impressive cast and an ending that will make audiences reevaluate the film they just experienced.
Asteroid City is written and directed by Wes Anderson from a story created by Anderson and Roman Coppola. Asteroid City features a star-studded cast, including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Maya Hawke, and Steve Carell. Asteroid City is rated PG-13 and has a runtime of 105 minutes.
Asteroid City is available on digital and video on demand now, and it will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on August 15 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.