The story of this films works on many levels. On its surface, it is a slowly unfurling story of a family surviving in isolation, protected from the physical threats of the airborne disease beyond their glasshouse home and of those infected by it. Each member of the family must navigate the changes to their dynamics and roles when a stranger joins them.
But nothing about this film is only surface level- it is also a story about story itself that explores how the stories we tell ourselves and believe (in families, in society) shape our sense of belonging and out actions, and how we are culpable in our decisions about the stories and histories we remember and those we choose to forget.
The film moves slowly, but this works well to create the slightly surreal feel of the environment and the family, to build the tension - which increasingly bubbles throughout, and to explore the rich themes presented. I found it really refreshing to be offered provoking themes and questions for consideration without being bashed over the head by them or spoken down to as a viewer.
I turned over many of these questions over in my head, revisiting moments from the film for days after I saw it.
The film is lovely to look at is well worth the watching.
But nothing about this film is only surface level- it is also a story about story itself that explores how the stories we tell ourselves and believe (in families, in society) shape our sense of belonging and out actions, and how we are culpable in our decisions about the stories and histories we remember and those we choose to forget.
The film moves slowly, but this works well to create the slightly surreal feel of the environment and the family, to build the tension - which increasingly bubbles throughout, and to explore the rich themes presented. I found it really refreshing to be offered provoking themes and questions for consideration without being bashed over the head by them or spoken down to as a viewer.
I turned over many of these questions over in my head, revisiting moments from the film for days after I saw it.
The film is lovely to look at is well worth the watching.