Asteroid City (2023) Movie Review | Wes Anderson

[@chloeclarke9495]

Austin! Your intros lately have been killing it! I’m loving them, keep them up! You’ve been a dad a week and already throwing your back out! Love the review.

[@AustinBurke]

Hahaha full dad mode!!

[@birthdaybatter815]

I’m pretty mixed on the movie, but the asteroid theft scene was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a minute 😂

[@AustinBurke]

Yes, I agree!

[@trixicenby999]

Definetly the highlighy of the film XD

[@wuhanbioweaponslab]

It was the ONLY funny think in the whole movie sadly.

[@mattfayne9691]

//asteroid theft scene was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a minute 😂// A minute is only 60 seconds! So you saw something funnier just 60sec earlier? Ok

[@DeepEye1994]

​@@wuhanbioweaponslabpersonally the return of the alien to drop the meteor back in its place causing the announcement of a new quarantine making everyone lose their sh*t ALSO got me (and for hitting too close home after the pandemic XP)

[@Animaxx010]

Wanted to love this movie so much. Maybe everything just flew over me but it was just a lot of random stuff happening. I get all the set up and all the characters, but felt it didn’t lead anywhere. The best thing about this movie for me was the set and the beautiful visual.

[@francolast9834]

I agree 100000%

[@kentslocum]

I have no problem with confusing or ambiguous movies that have deep meanings, but I felt that this film was marketed in a deceptive way. It was sold as a straightforward comedic coming-of-age young romance, while instead I watched a film that was only tangentially related in a superficial way. I definitely wish that the film had not had the meta-commentary and instead focused solely on Asteroid City. Also, I wish there was a payoff for the "buy a plot of ground from a vending machine" scene.

[@Animaxx010]

@@kentslocum Same here. I thought the nerdy group of kids were gonna solve this big mystery while Scarlett’s and Jason’s characters were gonna fall in love. And then the rest of the cast were just gonna innocently be bystanders with that Wes Anderson humor that got caught in everything with the aliens and the smart group kids. Not that straightforward obviously, but at least some kind of pay off. I’ve seen Wes Anderson done it before, for sure he have the ability, just felt he didn’t finish writing this and decided to go ahead and start shooting the film.

[@alpsalish]

I didn't enjoy it at all.

[@DeepEye1994]

​@@BasketCase-rr7tx my two favorite Anderson films, Mr. Fox and Budapest Hotel, are most definitely not that.

[@RM2011ish]

Oddly enough, I felt like the Alien sequence was a merger between Wes' live action and stop motion animation styles. That's why I accepted the goofiness of it. It STILL felt ripped from his imagination.

[@J5HUA]

It’s also supposed to be a live play so the alien ofc doesn’t look insanely real because it’s a prop costume

[@DrKlausTrophobie]

@@J5HUA And it still is very distinct from the stage actor, played by Goldblum. I still don't know what to make from it. Does it mean Asteroid City isn't just a stage play? Or is it just divergence from the autors vision and what it supposed to look like?

[@Zach-gq9cw]

Random thought: We need a movie with Frances McDormand and Willem Dafoe as co-leads

[@prathapkutty7407]

​@@BasketCase-rr7tx 😂

[@VerifiedB]

Good for Wes Anderson for making another movie that lets people pretend they are smart for liking it.

[@sheryt1991]

Thank you 😩

[@alpsalish]

This was just not a very good movie.

[@marcelthejay]

hmm. or maybe just MAYBE.. pls just genuinely liked it? 😕🤔

[@randycunningham7318]

I find his films endlessly fresh, quirky, unpredictable and entertaining. If people can't get into them, that is unfortunate for them.

[@alpsalish]

@@randycunningham7318 This is quirky boring. Same formula. Stale and bland.

[@brijanwilson1888]

I gave it a 70% as well. It wasn't great but definitely enjoyable. And THAT scene (👀) is living in my head rent free!

[@AustinBurke]

Yes, that scene is 🔥

[@aleksthevoyager1260]

You can’t wake up if you don’t wake up?

[@Bane-l7h]

​@@aleksthevoyager1260😂

[@totalpartykill999]

"you can't wake up if you don't fall asleep." so essentially this movie is a study of grief, and the complicated nature of families sharing the same grief. we may seem to think its a movie about a play, or somesuch, but Auggie is not only the main character, but a very real one. the "play production" parts, i beleive, are part of a dream sequence of Auggies. reason i say this is the dialogue between Auggie and his dead wife near the end. its Auggie finally coming to terms with his grief, in his dreams. the idea of the play production, i think, is a representation of Auggies denial and bargaining stage. as if he has this way of disconnecting himself from the very real pain of the grief by observing himself as an actor in his own life, probably exacerbated by his developing relationship with an actual actress, fleeing from something as well. anyway, thats what its about.

[@morpheuszzz5587]

"You’re the wife who plays my actress"

[@ericheine2414]

I thought the movie is a fantastic piece of work. This is a work that belongs in the Fine Art category.. Very different from what comes out of Hollywood The film maintains the feeling of a play. The characters are engaging. This is a deep peice of serious work. We needed to change.

[@erickhuitzil9729]

Layered like an onion. There was lots going on, but I was always along for the ride. Well acted and well shot, as you’d come to expect in a Wes Anderson flick. Enjoyed it for the most part, more than his last film

[@Bane-l7h]

Agreed. His last film was so pretentious I just couldn't fall into it....

[@zackspiker_]

I found the superfluous aspects of the movie the most engaging. His humor was flawless in this, the Jeffrey Wright Speech was awesome, the why dare scene had this amazing hallmark of an Anderson film wherein a moderately less important character shows care for someone who needs it or someone who earned it when the Steve Carrell manager also asks “what’s the dare?” Bc the child needs to know people acknowledge him outside of those who just think he’s smart and daring.

[@johnyzero2000]

Compared to all the drivel that has been released in the past two months Asteroid City is a breath of fresh air.

[@ras_732]

I actually enjoyed Asteroid City, Wes Anderson continues to impress!

[@S1leNtRIP]

I absolutely loved the "ending" with the conversation wtih Margot Robbie. Just hit the theme on the head for me!

[@clark5252]

Looking forward to this movie whenever it’s playing near me. My favourite Wes Anderson movie so far is probably The life aquatic with Steve Zissou

[@biguy617]

I think Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom are my favorite movies he directed

[@AriannaGi]

Grand Budapest is one of my favorites for sure.

[@procopiobucaio8840]

Same

[@matthewreid9266]

I really enjoyed this movie , another great film by Mr. Anderson. The Royal Tenenbaums is still my favourite from him.

[@daverichards9141]

Royal Tenebaums is my favorite. I love Wes Anderson's films. I love symmetry and his films always deliver.

[@OliverTheRicketts]

Loved this movie. It actually inspired a new tattoo! The best wes anderson movie IMO is grand Budapest hotel

[@trow3]

Can I see the tattoo?

[@OliverTheRicketts]

@@trow3 I'll post it on my channels community tab :)

[@jeffcarlin5866]

Tattoos are stupid. "Hey, check me out! I don't need to express myself! I'll let the ink tell my story!"

[@OliverTheRicketts]

It's really not that serious@@jeffcarlin5866

[@watitdomyfriend]

I think this is the most abstract movie he’s ever done. It’s a social commentary of ALL social commentaries in a way, while also trying to give its own truth. Beautifully done. Worth a second watch!

[@mikegeld1280]

This is the type of movie you gotta be high when watching it,

[@maaroufel-khaled6325]

I have not seen Asteroid City Yet. But However, My 3 Favourite Wes Anderson Movies are The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Royal Tenenbaums and Fantastic Mr. Fox 🦊 .

[@Bane-l7h]

I think I'm right there with you. The layers took me out of it...made me wonder if I wasn't smart enough for the elaborately contrived Thang Wes does...in the end, each scene is so pleasing and well-played I almost don't care about being lost...

[@jeffro512]

same - I keep thinking maybe I'm too dense to appreciate it lol. I LOVED the scenes within Asteroid City and was genuinely annoyed every time they went to the black & white/4th wall stuff. I agree this has to be my favorite Jason Swartzman role yet, and Scarlet was indeed amazing.

[@pbear1988]

It's okay, its pretty and the characters were inter3esting to me but it didn't really take them anywhere

[@kevinshook2762]

I'm not really a Wes Anderson fan but I enjoyed every moment of this film

[@NomadicBrian]

I liked this Wes film. Then again I love just about all the work Wes does. Was not expecting the film about a story within a play and breaking the walls with signature images, animation, miniatures, fast speed/dead pan dialogue for comic effect and other goodies. I read many reviews that get into the meta or meta modernism as opposed to post modernism and it has been many years since my 9-12 college credits in film and the arts. But I did read existentialists like Kafka and made the effort to view abstract art and such in my cosmopolitan life in NYC years ago. I do think that now and then we should make an effort to understand what influenced an artist and try to get into their head then view their art again. I could not tell you that I truly understood the one main message if there was one. It could be that we should just stop and look and think and be alive.

[@DrKlausTrophobie]

For the claymation: It striked me when we later had a "behind the theater"-scene with an actor (played by Jeff Goldblum) who was dressed alike. I'm still not sure what to make of it. Does it mean Asteroid City isn't just a stage play?

[@VolkovJunior]

To me, it seemed like Anderson was more obsessed with the aesthetics rather than with a good, cohesive story. I forced myself to finish it, although I was bored 20 min into the movie. Of course, there will be plenty of people who "loved it" and thought it was "ingenious." But you know what, if you have to google "Asteroid City explained", it probably means the plot had a few big holes in it and others are attempting to fill it for you with their interpretation and metaphors, which might not even be real or accurate. A good movie doesn't have to have a clear message, like any of the Coen brothers', but it certainly should be characters-captivating and easy to follow in terms of the story. Asteroid City was none of these. You really don't care what happens to the characters, because there was no real exposition or development, they were static throughout the entire screenplay. Yet, another demonstration that a good story is everything... So many movies nowadays focus too much on the visual aspect, using all the latest and greatest technology, trying to hide a lack of a good story.

[@randyspears9827]

I'm a huge Wes Anderson fan, but this one doesn't work for me. It's a triumph of his style over the substance of the story -- which is pretty indecipherable.

[@Ottobuns]

saw it last night, wasn’t really crazy about it

[@SwissTanuki]

Saw it 30min ago and feel the same. I think I was missing a person I would care for

[@CadeHoff7920]

Excited to see this film based on the cast alone.

[@AustinBurke]

Cast is so great

[@AbduCola]

It doesn't help unfortunately. He squandered something like, 14 A list actors

[@cringemaster5871]

Everything about this film looks great. Got a stacked cast and I love Wes Anderson!

[@DeepEye1994]

I enjoyed this movie... because it just relaxed me. LoL I doubt Wes Anderson will ever hit the peaks of Mr. Fox or Grand Budapest Hotel so his films to me are very well done comfort food that I go see when I wanna have a relaxing time at the movies. Plus he's among the few directors who makes extensive use of practical effects and miniatures and I want to support the continuation of this filmmaking style.

[@nickmills5221]

I won't be seeing this movie until August cause Australia's release dates are just weird now. Looking forward to seeing this movie. Austin would you consider making a Wes Anderson films ranked video...?

[@leviturner4565]

9/10 I Loved it

[@deenaprice1524]

I've seen a few Wes Anderson films on dvd, and due to that, I cannot see myself buying a theater ticket to see any of his films.

[@JohnDoe-bz4yl]

This movie might be in my top 6 of his My top 3 are !.The grand budapest hotel 2.Moonrise kingdom 3. The french dispatch

[@fremscritic]

Never have I watched a review and had my mind read. My exact thoughts on the movie (too many layers, Scar-Jo/Schwartzman, the production design, AND score!)

[@Ace-hv8qt]

Fantastic Mr Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Royal Tenenbaums

[@scottisitt]

I'm afraid I haven't liked a Wes Anderson film since he stopped co-writing with Owen Wilson.

[@albertptran]

I slept through half the movie. There was more at stake for the characters in Grand Budapest Hotel. Also more art and cinematic styles featured in GBH

[@Kole777]

His best

[@Rockstar-bq5fm]

Anderson doesn’t seem to have hit the mark since Isle of the dogs. I like his style and it’s uniqueness but is it just played out at this point. It’s so hard to try and top his magnum opus the grand Budapest hotel or even get close to it

[@allisonroberts8430]

Wes Anderson movies are for dry humored, politically liberal, well lived parents! I was the only person in the theater laughing. Heard many negative comments afterwards, but I loved it. The laziness yet overbearing adults, the references to recent world events. Loved it!

[@AriannaGi]

I was also the only one laughing but there were only 4 other people

[@matthewcloranmusic7745]

Grand Budapest followed closely (!) by The Royal Tannenbaum's. Looking forward to this, mixed reviews be damned! ;)

[@AustinBurke]

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@fgbowen]

Good thoughts. ... .. .... . The film is (imho) all about what is communicated in the lyrics of the song in the latter half of the closing credits. Song by Jarvis Cocker - You Can't Wake Up If You Don't Fall Asleep

[@leokimvideo]

Wes has a spell cast over Hollywood that very few other filmmakers can pull off. This film has all the ingredients to sweep the Oscars.

[@toxic1strike167]

The Oscars unfortunately will probably give it zero nominations. If French Dispatch got nothing, then this one will certainly get nothing

[@cmbeadle2228]

? If anything Wes is glossed over in the Oscars - aside from grand Budapest hotel he has only had films nominated for screenplay or best animated.

[@TomJones-wi4nh]

Set design is a strong possibility, other than that I can’t see the Oscar voting block giving the film much love.

[@beinerthchitivamachado9892]

LMAO, this movie doesn't deserve any Oscars nods. Let's be real. French Dispatch was a MASTERPIECE and it got nothing.

[@TomJones-wi4nh]

@@beinerthchitivamachado9892 I agree FD was amazing. Almost on par with the Grand Budapest Hotel. Almost.

[@josepheebarb]

I love the visuals and cinematography of Anderson films

[@itsmeblue9]

solid c tier movie for wes anderson standards imo, it was definitely great but it wasnt AS good as some of his other movies

[@narukamizanagi8645]

This past week I watched Rushmore and Bottle Rocket, and compared to those films i think the last two are more style over substance. BR and Rushmore have more for the audience to connect to and they are my favorites of his filmography(along with Fantastic Mr Fox). I wasn’t a fan of this film at all and its message confused me too

[@Clonez-sr7to]

I really liked it, it was very convoluted but enjoyable

[@amylin1963]

The other two people in the theater with me left an hour into the movie.

[@AbduCola]

This movie did one thing very well. A lot of people feel Wes Anderson fans are fans for the sake of appearing artsy and hipster. That his movies are almost a personality trait or aesthetic like the iPhone. I definitely think a lot of his fans are those people, but I also believe a lot of his fans legitimacy see the merit in his style and truly understand his films and see the genuine art he is portraying. The one thing this movie did well was make a clear distinction between those fans. This film is a paint by numbers nothing film that just ticks off the Wes Anderson tropes. Its super ironic you brought AI up because this literally feels like someone took a script making machine and plugged in "quirky" settings. Easily his worst movie yet which is even further compounded by the fact he may have had the most start studded cast of all time and it still couldn't be carried

[@beinerthchitivamachado9892]

You're bang on, bro. Wes defo missed with this one.

[@jessicareid8474]

Watched it with my dad(a Wes Anderson fan). He said it was the worst movie he’s ever watched all the way through. I’ve seen The Red Turtle though, so I’ve seen much much worse 🤣🤣🤣

[@alpsalish]

This was a really bad one. Agree.

[@yeahzoitsa]

I loveeeeeed it! It was so reminiscent of Brecht and Pirandello -- but at the same time it was also reminiscent of Oscar Wilde's idea of art for art's sake. Such a fun movie theatre experience for me with this Wes Anderson movie

[@Cash42]

I think you oughta give it a rewatch sometime cause I thought the black and white sequences kind of enhanced the experience for me it kinda helped me understand the structure of the film better even tho it felt a bit confusing at first

[@ericvincentcarbone3471]

I loved the movie. I love Wes Anderson.

[@universalsoldier2293]

I feel stupid watching his movies because I absolutely don't get them. Such a gorgeous looking movie, but I'm not gonna lie and say that I understand how it was a movie pretending to be a TV show pretending to be a beyond the scenes acting class. Best part was the scene with Margot Robbie and Jason Schwartzman.

[@alpsalish]

Don't feel stupid. They aren't clever enough to warrant that.

[@Puppy_Puppington]

Freaking love Wes anderson. I was really worried after the French dispatch that we wouldn’t get a new film anytime soon but this hit the spot. Thank you Wes Anderson and team.

[@mattalvareznj]

I was very disappointed in this great cinematography and acting waste of a story coming from a great cast

[@eddylopez6403]

Best movie of the year, I'm willing to physically fight anyone who disagrees

[@alpsalish]

Pretty sure most action flick audiences could take care of that for you.

[@RandhawaAdi1995]

Ari Aster and Wes Anderson really made their most self indulgent films this year

[@BuShips]

No mention of Easter eggs here but there are definitely some in the movie. One that I caught was a reference to the great series Fringe. Since you showed the flying saucer my mention of it shouldn’t be a spoiler. When the townsfolk are looking up in the night sky, there is a row of three green lights ending with a red light to the right of them. I immediately thought “Oh! Fringe!” 😀

[@paradisecity0406able]

I wonder if this movie will *SKYROCKET* it's way to Austin's favorite Wes Anderson movies 🚀

[@luisorozco257]

Can you review "No hard feelings"?

[@metrogoldwynlayer964]

Love Anderson’s style and films. HATED this movie and am hoping the man hasn’t lost it

[@X22689]

I really enjoyed the french 📰 dispatch, isle of 🐕, grand Budapest 🏨, darjeeling 🚋 unlimtd. And etc , so im hoping since im a WA fan , i enjoy this movie i keep hearing people are confused about.

[@milestrombley1466]

I like his animated movies.

[@robertgeraldwalker4987]

Love this movie. Gets better with repeated viewings.

[@darkweeknd33]

off topic, but are you seeing Past Lives soon? I saw it and it's now my 2nd favorite of the year!

[@Cash42]

I just got out of watching it, and i loved it, but why is Tom Hanks doing a Bill Murray impression. Also, Scarlett Johansson’s performance was really great! Isle of Dogs is my favorite Wes Anderson movie, although I haven’t seen most of them

[@alpsalish]

So, just her script was poorly written?

[@Cash42]

@@alpsalish what do you mean?

[@alpsalish]

@@Cash42 I thought her dialogue was poorly written.

[@Cash42]

@@alpsalish how so? I found the conversations between her and Jason Schwartzman to have been some of the best parts of the script haha. I like how nuanced and ambiguous most of her dialogue seems, I thought it brought out a lot of depth

[@alpsalish]

@@Cash42 I appreciate your perspective. Where you felt nuance I couldn't escape the dialog feeling, contrived, stilted and shallow. Rather predictable. Hope you enjoyed the film. I found it frustrating.

[@BonezHollow]

The layers were entirely apart of the goal. He wanted you to feel overwhelmed and confused. So I’m fact this review is probably perfectly aligned to how he wanted to make you feel

[@kentslocum]

I had only ever watched "Fantastic Mr. Fox" before seeing Asteroid City, even though I was aware of his other films. Based on the trailers, I expected a rather straightforward story with a broad cast of characters and a lot of deadpan humor. Instead, I was shocked to witness a confusing meta-commentary on scriptwriting and acting. Also, I was not prepared for gay romance and people losing their Christian faith. So I think my biggest gripe is not that the movie was bad, but that the marketing was bad. The marketing sold me on a film that I didn't see. I feel lied to. Wes Anderson can make whatever film he wants; I just wish he had been more honest about what film he had made.

[@randycunningham7318]

Shit, a gay story? How gay.

[@jsonmnz27]

Asteroid city > Budapest hotel Fight me

[@123rockfan]

I’ve watched dozens of reviews and I can’t believe no one has mentioned that the film looks like a Looney Tunes cartoon. There’s even references to coyotes and roadrunners

[@Wiinter_]

here's my problem. I never understood the end of act 3 and epilogue, the whole you can't wake up if you don't fall asleep thing is wacky and set me off course.

[@Alicia_1970]

I keep thinking Scarlet Johansson was Annette Bening lol I really only love Rushmore but maybe I’ll check this one out.

[@JidionisthebiggestMenace]

Great review bro, I am looking forward to this one.

[@Tidepool]

I love wes Anderson movies

[@tommygriffin7049]

Need that Wes tier ranking

[@mikeshreds4real]

I think Wes Anderson makes movies for bibliophiles like us.

[@gmoneyyt]

SPOILERS: Bro really said “when they go through grief” and other subtle things and then toward the end just flat-out said “when their mother died…”

[@AustinBurke]

You mean the thing that happens in the first five minutes of the movie? And is also mentioned in the marketing? Yeah that thing.

[@mattheinemann3259]

My favorite wes movies or isle of dogs and darjeen limited.

[@finned958]

This movie is like when you drove on Route 66 and your car broke down and this is what happens. Just waiting for time to pass and grieving for someone.

[@HispanidadTranslations]

“The king has no clothes!”

[@TheBlackCrayon77]

There hasn't been a time Wes has missed the mark. My faves are Bottle Rocket, Life Aquatic, and of course The Royal T's. Even his worst film (which isn't that bad at all) Hotel Chevalier... Was better than what most people do. I'm literally sitting down and starting to watch this right now. I'm very excited

[@thenerdpodcast2933]

The Royal Tannenbaums

[@sophiamaria3932]

Thanks for the review! I watched “No Hard Feelings” and it was a great romcom! Reminded me of early 2000’s Judd Apatow🩵

[@jasonmelo9379]

My favorite of his is life aquatic only because Sigur Ros has a song on it

[@Anthonycheesman33]

I wish he would do more animated movies love isle of dogs and fantastic mr fox

[@josepheebarb]

I love the French dispatch

[@charlesthomas7372]

To really enjoy this movie… you have to be on drugs, alcohol, or just very high open minded view on things.. I think it makes it very enjoyable… the camera shots and movement is very impressive. I wish Jamie Foxx was in this movie…

[@elliotcecil6660]

How were they able to have a brief full frontal female nud3 scene in a PG-13 movie? Anyone know, would’ve thought that would make it R

[@BuShips]

The answer is that she was out of focus.

[@elliotcecil6660]

@@BuShips she wasn’t though it was all their clear as day

[@boopsg1]

It was not in a sexual context

[@seragyasser2005]

I demand a tier list for wes Anderson 😀

[@mshinasherman7914]

You never told us anything! You are really fun.

[@AustinBurke]

Lol use your ears and your brain

[@bjtucker5]

Wes Anderson's latest circus is a cotton candy parade of cardboard cutout celebrities; a jumbled, delicious, hollow, boring, beautiful mess. It's an exquisitely decorated Twinkie. I keep hearing that Anderson has become a parody of himself and I don't think that's necessarily true. He is imitating no one. He clearly has a strong artistic vision and executes it beautifully. But, if you love movies because you love a great story, well he lost me after Tenenbaums. Not since then has he told a great story, with the exception of Fantastic Mr. Fox which isn't even his story. So there I think he's gorging himself like a child in a candy shoppe, delighting in grabbing all the bright, beautiful things he can get his hands on and sticking them (albeit very elegantly) on screen. It seems his films are just vehicles for his obsession with presentation; an excuse to pull in the latest it-boys and girls, his old, familiar muses. You can almost hear the buzz... "Wes Anderson has a new film coming out... Get me a part!" In a way, it's reminiscent of the grandiose scope of Cecil B. DeMille. But again, at least with DeMille, there were some bones of a story to hold up the stunning sets. Anderson seems to purposely want us to feast our eyes on the screen and nothing else. The characters are almost back drops with their uniform, flat deliveries and monotone lines. What are they saying? Who cares? Just look at how gorgeous it all is!

[@LA-LuisAlexander]

You Don‘t Stuck in the Traffic, You are the Traffic

[@y2kPunk]

From my experience the only people defending this movie are 20 year old indie kids who are just getting into film and think they already know everything about film while having very limited frame of reference due to their inexperience watching movies for years

[@n64fan60]

Bryan Cranston would be a great Andrew Ryan in the BioShock film.

[@youbluethatone1017]

On Second Thought I’d say The Royal Tenenbaums

[@HotelProductsDirect]

I go to the movies for entertainment, so this one failed the test. I am not interested in pretending it is something intellectually advanced. I agree it was a Good stage set.

[@GareBare90]

I mean, it Wes. What did you expect? 😁