Starring an intimate cast headlined by Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers is a film about a writer trying to figure out his life. Along this journey, Scott’s Adam meets and befriends Harry (Paul Mescal) a man who resides in the apartment building Adam also lives in. As Adam and Harry spark up a romance, Adam is trying to write about his parents who sadly passed away when he was twelve.
How he mines for inspiration is an unconventional one, he heads back to his childhood home and seems to bring his parents back to life. Having the conversations he wished he could have had in the life he never got to have.
All of Us Strangers – You were always on my mind
All of Us Strangers is a beautiful film. The scenes with Adam and his parents, played by Jamie Bell and Claire Foy, are deeply emotional. Bell and Foy bring warmth and humanity to their performances that are touching and at the same time familiar. Watching them interact with their grown son is fascinating as they come to terms with who he has become.
They start as a snapshot in time, simply something Adam wishes to draw inspiration from. However, they quickly become something else and the conversations they have with Adam and his life and his choices are remarkable. They’re the kind of conversations you’d wish you could have with your parents if you could just pluck up the courage and sit down with them.
Mescal’s Harry is an excellent foil to Adam, allowing him to get out of his head. They go out, they stay in and they live. This is something that Adam was not doing at the beginning of the film locked away in his highrise coffin reliving a lost life. Mescal and Scott have a sweet rapport and their scenes together are warm, erotic and genuine. It’s a testament to their stellar acting skills.
The one problem I had with the film was the ending. As everything comes to a close the story keeps going and unfortunately ends a little too late for my taste. There was a perfect point to leave Adam and his story and instead, the film pushes its narrative a little too far.
All of Us Strangers is a story that transcends convention and imagination. An intimate and heartwarming cast headlined by an awards-worthy performance from Scott.
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