Asteroid City (2023)

Director: Wes Anderson

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks

Following a writer on his world famous fictional play about a grieving father who travels with his tech-obsessed family to small rural Asteroid City to compete in a junior stargazing event, only to have his world view disrupted forever.

‘Asteroid City’ features an ensemble cast and Wes Anderson’s signature style, narration, and dialogue. His films has a unique vision to the point where one can almost immediately spot a Wes Anderson movie.

A Photographer, Augie (Jason Schwartzman) and his four children arrive in the fictional desert town of Asteroid City for a stargazing event. Arriving there, their car breaks down and the local mechanic is not able to fix it. Augie’s wife died three weeks ago, but he hasn’t told his children yet, and carries her ashes in a Tupperware container.

Several other characters arrive for the event, including a famous actress, Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson) and her teenage daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards). Augie’s teenage son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) – a contributor to the convention – fancies Dinah, who also attends the event as a contributor.

During the convention, an alien arrives above the crater where a meteorite fell, and steals a fragment of the meteorite which is on display. Things then get complicated as the events are broadcast to the world, and the different characters have different opinions on the matter, and also have their own issues to deal with.

I enjoyed the characters and I loved Wes Anderson’s trademark camera work. Wes Anderson has brought us many amazing films (and then some misses, as well). ‘Asteroid City’ is definitely miles better than his previous work, ‘The French Dispatch’, which I didn’t enjoy quite as much. Oh, and I think someone should check into the possibility Wes Anderson might actually be an alien…

Would I watch it again? Maybe.