Asteroid City is Wes Anderson’s most out-of-this-world film yet – in more ways than one

In the world of extremes that lie Wes Anderson’s films, it can be something of a challenge to find a middle ground.

On the one hand, you have his most devout of supporters, who will fight tooth and nail to defend his unique and unparalleled style. On the other are his critics, those who believe his movies are little more than a one-man mission to come across as weird as possible.

The director’s latest installment, Asteroid City, has done little to bring these opposing sides together – and has probably left them more split than ever before. Ironically enough, though, these movie-goers are actually inadvertently slipping into stereotype territory themselves. This should be the film that brings them together.

The comedy-drama is up there with Anderson’s oddest yet, and won’t be to everyone’s taste. What is undoubtedly refreshing, however, is a filmmaker who is constantly willing to push boundaries and tread new ground. In an era of bland, boring blockbusters, these risk-taking experiments bring some much-needed flavour.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t take away from the fact that the film is (aptly) rather alienating. Anderson characters have never spoken or behaved like ordinary human beings, and yet we have still been able to relate to them. In Asteroid City, there is very little connection between those inhabiting it and their audience.

And in truth, everything is just a little bit off this time around. The humour isn’t quite there, the one-liners don’t hit as hard, and the plot is a tad too confusion-inducing. It’s certainly a drop down from The French Dispatch.

But that doesn’t stop the movie from exceeding pass marks. It’s still fun throughout, with a band of the director’s favourites being joined by some new faces to produce something of a breath of fresh air.

Of those fresh additions, Scarlett Johansson is by far and away the star of the show. Her talent has often gone under the radar in recent years due to her prominence in action flicks, but, like in Jojo Rabbit, she grabs her chance with both hands when given the opportunity to shine in a quieter role.

She embraces the wooden Wes Anderson style with ease, and offers the closest thing to a sympathetic figure the movie has to offer in Midge Campbell. She has experience in portraying troubled characters, and uses it all to her advantage.

Jason Schwartzman, however, is unable to captivate us in the same way he has done in past Anderson projects. His film debut in Rushmore and performance in The Darjeeling Limited far exceed this one. He is by no means awful, but his lack of charisma leaves Asteroid City somewhat lacking.

The rest of the cast are hit or miss – it’s nice to see so many familiar faces, but having to cram them all in wastes precious time that could have been spent building the leads’ stories.

Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody and Edward Norton, for instance, offer up some interesting characters while helping to propel the plot. Jake Ryan’s Woodrow Steenbeck is also a highlight.

However, Tom Hanks is disappointing despite his prominence and fails to ignite his role in the way Bill Murray so often has in Anderson films. Bryan Cranston, meanwhile, is something of a futile addition, and Maya Hawke brings fun and charm but little else.

This bloated cast list contributes to the struggles we face in following the story itself, which is complicated at the best of times. Even the director himself seems to be a little confused as to where he is taking the tale at points, although there are some poignant (if subtle) messages on the best and worst ways to deal with grief.

Naturally, this is all set to another wonderful, colourful backdrop, with past and future being fused together to create a stunning desert town of blue. If Anderson’s films do anything, they create worlds that are fun to inhabit – the level of detail that goes into building them is a pleasure to witness on the big screen.

You get the sense that if we were suddenly transported back in time to an era in which sound and film had not yet joined hands, Asteroid City would make for a very enjoyable silent movie. It’s gorgeous, and the quirky use of CGI sets it apart brilliantly.

This is 2023, however, when our films very much do have sound – and everything we do hear is just a little lacking in the consistent quality we’ve come to expect from Anderson’s filmography over the years.

But it’s brave, it’s bold, it’s intriguing and it tries something different. It finds itself in a middle ground that should bring his lovers and haters closer than ever before.

It’s not Anderson’s best, but it may be his oddest – and in all honesty, that’s probably a bigger compliment for the man anyway.

Rating: ★★★☆☆