Review: All of Us Strangers: HIFF Premiere

British filmmaker Andrew Haigh brought his newest work, “All of Us Strangers,” to premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival this weekend. Adapted from the 1987 novel “Strangers” by acclaimed Japanese writer Taichi Yamada, “All of Us Strangers” takes the audience through the process of reconciling our grief for the past with our present reality.

Starring Academy Award-nominated actor Paul Mescal and Emmy-nominated actor Andrew Scott, we watch as Adam (Scott), a lonely scriptwriter living in London, works to discern his parents’ death after a chance visit to his childhood home where he finds them living exactly as they were over 30 years ago. Adam eventually meets Harry (Mescal), a curious man living in the same apartment building as him. Their newfound friendship and romance supplement Adam’s hysteria. Part romantic drama, part psychological thriller, “All of Us Strangers,” forces the audience to consider the ways in which love and grief consume us alike, confronting stereotypes and prejudices surrounding homosexuality, mental illness, and loss. “All of Us Strangers” is a beautiful and mysterious story.

Shot on 35mm film by cinematographer Jamie Ramsay, each scene leaves the viewer wondering if they just stepped into the hues of a Gustav Klimt piece. Although set in the present day, the way in which the characters’ costumes and living spaces are designed adds to the riddle of whether we are in a dream or reality. Set to be released in theaters on December 22, 2023, “All of Us Strangers” is a can’t-miss.