One thing I can say for certain is that Aniara sucks you into its story. I was entranced by this film early on, and intrigued to see how it would all unfold. From the beginning, it is truly masterful at world-buildiing without needing too much expositioin to set things up. As things start to go wrong, the film becomes a fascinating look at the different things that drive and inspire society (and also the way people view existence.) You can definitely see the direct thematic correlation between the main characters in this film and different people in our own world who all take unique perspectives on the meaning of life. However, as time wore on, this film started to wear on me. I feel their point was made earlier, and yet we continue to watch as things spiral downwards for our main character and all those around her. The novelty of being on this spaceship disappears, the people aboard the Aniara begin to devolve, and the depressing tone of the story becomes almost impossible to tolerate. I understood the message the writer/directors were making about halfway through and yet things continued to drag on for another hour. By the end, I simply felt miserable and wondered why I had sat through it all. That's not to say that the film is ineffective. In fact, it nails the tone, and takes you on this oppressive journey through the desperation of life without meaning. I simply hated the experience because I prefer to cling to hope in real life and when watching a movie.
Review of Aniara
