Sometimes, the ghosts that haunt us are the ones that still shape us.
Written and directed by Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers tells the story of Adam (Andrew Scott), a London resident who has a chance encounter with mysterious neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal). Immediately, there is an undeniable attraction between the two men and they strike up a relationship. Although infatuated with his new love, Adam feels emotionally stagnant. Obsessed with the past, he cannot help but visit his childhood home where his parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) seem to welcome him back, despite their death over thirty years prior.
All of Us Strangers is a quiet film that echoes loudly with the viewer long after the final credits approved. (That isn’t hyperbole either. This critic saw the film almost a month ago and I’m still processing its complex mixture beauty and sadness.) Built on the backs of awards worthy turns from Scott and Mescal, Strangers takes its otherworldly premise and makes it feel authentic. By limiting locations and keeping the camera tight on his subjects, Haigh directs each scene as though it’s an intimate exploration of his characters. As a result, every conversation feels personal and tender, even in its most difficult of moments.
As a result, there’s an undeniable beauty to Strangers. As Adam grapples with the loss of his parents, one watches as he struggles with the concept of letting go. There is a heavy burden of loss within his soul that keeps him emotionally stagnant, causing tension within his relationship with Harry. For him, the world without them is simply too much to bear and his life remains frozen in time. As he attempts to put back the pieces of his tortured soul, Strangers taps into the complicated relationship that we can have with our parents.
Although he yearns to be with his mother and father, Adam also believes that they would not accept him for who he is. For instance, having never spoken to them about his sexuality, his conversations with his family bring with them insecurities and anxiety. Feelings of guilt, self-absorption, and shame all filter into his experience of love and loss. Yet, even so, Adam wants nothing more to please them. In this way, Strangersspeaks to our desire to honour our parents, even in moments where we’re hurt and frustrated by them.
But that’s part of the beauty of Strangers. Although nothing is easy for Adam, there is a recognition that these moments matter. With a blurred line between grace and truth, Haigh sits within the tension of these spaces and allows them to simmer. We feel the weight upon Adam’s heart as he grasps and claws his way in the darkness and the pain experienced by Harry as he helplessly tries to console his broken lover.
But Strangers never allows the viewer to give up in the midst of it.
For Haigh, the power of life seems to stem from our ability to make the most of the moments that we have with the people that we love, no matter how challenging they may be. After all, the highs and lows of life are simply part of human existence, forming an intricate tapestry of joy and pain.
If this all feels more philosophical than usual for a review, it’s simply because Strangers demands reflection. This isn’t the type of film to simply suggest its message plainly. Instead, it’s a film that demands something of the viewer. In essence, Haigh has created a film of such emotional complexity that one can’t help but be drawn in, not only for its strong performances and writing but also for the way that these Strangers feel all too familiar.
All of Us Strangers is available in theatres on Friday, December 22nd, 2023.
