Aniara

Magnet Releasing | Release Date: May 17, 2019

6.9	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Ratings

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nvmb3rth30ryJul 28, 2019

Aniara is first of all, a well crafted, beautifully shot and executed human drama. It is deliberately slow, allowing its interrelationships to unfold organically, but with a solid realism. Thus, it is not for everyone, and its pace willAniara is first of all, a well crafted, beautifully shot and executed human drama. It is deliberately slow, allowing its interrelationships to unfold organically, but with a solid realism. Thus, it is not for everyone, and its pace will frustrate many. The film is rendered in an intriguing dichotomy: on the one hand, absolutely gritty realism almost to a documentary-level precision. On the other, much of what is has to say (perhaps in keeping with its poetry source) is done via symbolism. I'm not sure whether the grit and realism works in favour of revealing the symbolism or against it: one gets caught up in the visceral images and only after, on reflection and analysis, does the symbolism become apparent. The story reveals the full range of human emotions, limitations and extreme behaviours that may emerge under prolonged stress. The filmmakers are unafraid to go anywhere in their depiction of this situation and this is a credit to them. It is a hell of a ride through many layers of existential angst, and the grim tone seldom relents. The film's special effects are satisfactory rather than spectacular, for they are not the point... this is not '2001', it is a story about human life. Recommended, for a mature and thinking audience.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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Bertaut1Sep 18, 2019

The poem is a masterpiece of esoteric science-fiction literature; and this is an impressive adaptation

The transitory nature of human existence, especially when set against the infinity of space and time, is a theme which has become moreThe poem is a masterpiece of esoteric science-fiction literature; and this is an impressive adaptation

The transitory nature of human existence, especially when set against the infinity of space and time, is a theme which has become more relevant in science fiction as we find ourselves facing an increasingly likely man-made extinction event. Adapted from Harry Martinson's 1956 poem of the same name, Aniara is about the crippling contemplation of meaninglessness that consumes the passengers of a vast spaceship set adrift in the void of space. The debut feature from writers/directors Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja, this is an exceptionally well made film. Sure, the characters are underdeveloped, and the science isn't exactly kosher, but it's morally complex and existentially challenging, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Set at an unspecified point in the future, humanity is making a new home on Mars. The Aniara is a massive vessel that takes passengers on the three-week trip from a lunar docking station to the red planet. As the film begins, we meet the unnamed protagonist (Emelie Jonsson); an employee on the Aniara, she is in charge of MIMA, a semi-sentient holodeck-like technology that can scan people's thoughts and allow them to experience whatever is best suited for their psyche. A week into the voyage, Captain Chefone (Arvin Kananian) is forced to jettison the nuclear core after a minor collision with space debris. However, the ship is now off-course, and without the core, the crew have no way of turning her around, leaving them drifting into the darkness of space.

Much as is the case with the poem, the film looks at issues such as the impermanence of human existence and the sense of meaninglessness that can result when mankind is faced with the eternity of time and space. It spends a good deal of time on the idea that human civilisation is a construct that we use to shield us from the bleak reality of our insignificance, and when it's removed, we revert to barbarism. The passengers on the Aniara are unable to stave off the malaise born from the hopelessness of their situation and the meaninglessness of their existence, and one of the most important lines is "everything we do is peripheral".

Depicted as half-mind control, half-narcotic, MIMA becomes vital post-collision, as people become dependent on her, with the wealthy amongst them trying to bribe their way in. When another employee is hired, the protagonist says she'll need to "teach them to resist the images", recalling the way employees in pharmaceutical factories are randomly drug-tested. At the same time, when a passenger proves unable to handle reality and becomes violent, he is forced to experience MIMA against his will and is rendered unconscious.

Another theme is mankind's destruction of Earth, with the possibility that we may colonise other worlds no longer seen as exploration, but as survival. This theme is never examined explicitly – we never learn when the film takes place, whether or not Earth has already died or is simply on the way, nor what sent us into the cosmos – but it's touched on obliquely throughout and is a good example of how the film engages with themes without necessarily foregrounding them.

In terms of problems, perhaps the most significant is the lack of character arcs (although this is also true of the poem). Does this leave the viewer with no characters with whom to empathise? Yes, to a certain extent it does, but this is by design; the film isn't asking us to fall in love with a cast of well-rounded characters, it's asking us to engage with it at an esoteric level.

The science also has some issues. If the Aniara wasn't built for long-term habitation, why are there so many amenities, why is the life-support system self-regulating, and why are the algae farms designed to produce food indefinitely? Additionally, Mars is (on average) 140 million miles from Earth, so for the Aniara to complete the journey in three weeks, she would need to travel at an average velocity of 277,777 mph. Newton's second law states that "force equals mass times acceleration", so the greater the mass and speed, the more force it takes to slow down, and the power needed to slow something as vast as Aniara (4,750 meters long and 891 meters wide) and moving at such a speed is virtually unfathomable.

Nevertheless, this is a very accomplished film, as aesthetically impressive as it is morally complex, as esoterically fascinating as it is unrelentingly despairing. Equal parts haunting and provocative, the picture it paints of a humanity faced with its own extinction isn't a pretty one, but it is an urgent one. And as we hurtle towards our own extinction, rapidly approaching the point where, like the Aniara, we will no longer be able to turn around, at that time, our future will consist of nothing but the indifferent darkness and deafening silence of the infinite.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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VadertimeAug 20, 2019

I got this DVD last night after reading a short review on it a few months back. As a sci-fi buff, I found this to be interesting, disturbing and sad. However, this is a highly watchable movie for adults and an intellectual exercise in whatI got this DVD last night after reading a short review on it a few months back. As a sci-fi buff, I found this to be interesting, disturbing and sad. However, this is a highly watchable movie for adults and an intellectual exercise in what happens when plans go awry and the human character breaks down into it's most primal mode. This is not a happy movie, but it is only a movie.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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imafallguyNov 30, 2019

Existential dread and self destructive coping...in space. Smart sci-fi rarely gets better than the expertly directed, shot, soundtracked and acted psychological horror film, Aniara.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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DeanomiteJan 6, 2020

I am fascinated by the end of civilization. Anthropologists say we are now in the throes of the 6th mass extinction event of the planet. in the last 10k years genetic diversity is down 70%, on par with the asteroid that killed theI am fascinated by the end of civilization. Anthropologists say we are now in the throes of the 6th mass extinction event of the planet. in the last 10k years genetic diversity is down 70%, on par with the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, and we are just hitting our stride. 90% of the big fish are gone from the oceans. In all likelihood in 100 years there will be no people or animals left on this planet. 95% of genetic diversity is projected to be gone at that time. Any movie exploring these concepts can only do so in a synecdoche fashion. The realization that extinction is happening gives the passengers unmanageable stress, which computer games become overwhelmed as coping mechanisms. This question is relevant, how do we cope with such an event. I just love how the holodeck gets depressed from absorbing their pain, maybe this is what psychiatrists suffer.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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macro_zorkiDec 12, 2020

This movie was a pleasant surprise. I didnt expect such a good movie! I will watch it again

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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eva3si0nOct 16, 2021

Aniara is a category B film and more importantly, it was shot by Europeans with their views on cinema. For the average viewer, Aniara will seem very boring and cheap. Yes, the budget of the film is poor, it is difficult to call the film aAniara is a category B film and more importantly, it was shot by Europeans with their views on cinema. For the average viewer, Aniara will seem very boring and cheap. Yes, the budget of the film is poor, it is difficult to call the film a space opera against the background of docorations. But the ending of the film and the hopelessness of the situation distinguish the film among others. I advise you to look at those people who love space operas, but are already tired of the typical framework of the history of this genre.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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RombauerApr 10, 2021

Excellent grand scale science fiction. It’s subtitled in English but I didn’t find that annoying (I thought I might. It’s definitely worth watching.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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