Andrew Haigh’s romantic fantasy, All of Us Strangers, got shut out of the Oscars, with zero nominations. And that’s a shame. A strong ensemble cast — Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, and Jamie Bell — delivers subtle yet heartbreaking performances. The screenplay adapts its source material with a series of bold choices. And it shows us things we think we know in completely unexpected and fresh ways.
The unusual story of All of Us Strangers follows Adam, a screenwriter who lives alone in London and has to confront the loss of his parents along with the prospect of starting a new relationship.
This smaller, quieter take on genre and LGTBQ+ identity does, at least, have six nominations at the British Oscars, otherwise known as The BAFTAs. The haunting film was also named one of the top ten independent films by the National Board of Review. And, of course, we awarded an LTR or “Letter” to Andrew Scott for Best Actor.
The film only recently left theaters and arrives on Hulu on Thursday February 22nd.
In this episode of The Long Take Review, Antonio, P.T., and I lament how under-appreciated All of Us Strangers has been this awards season and consider the competing interpretations of not only the events within but the basic premise of the film.
You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Movie News Update Oscar nominee luncheon, and the new Best Casting category 4:40
The Short Take We each share our general impressions of All of Us Strangers. That is, how much did we all cry? 17:40
The Recommendation Algorithm To whom might this film appeal and why might that be difficult to determine? 24:18
SPOILER MODE What are the “rules” of this film and how should we interpret what we see? Does the ending work? And what does it mean? 29:10
The Rhetorical Situation What genre or genres does this film occupy and what do those potential genres afford the story? Why does the story need to be told in this way? 1:07:30
Oscars Watch If the Oscars Fairy paid is a visit, which nominees would we swap out to make room for All of Us Strangers? And what BAFTAs, if any, could the film win? 1:26:45
Image Credit: LA Times
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All of Us Strangers Review