Asteroid City 2023

The visual style reminds me of the opening of Toy Story 3 mixed with those old Instagram filters that turn lips orange, layered with Wes Anderson’s pastel palette. I always enjoy scenes with Maya Hawke because she reminds me so much of her mother Uma Thurman. The facial expressions, the voice softness, even the presence in quiet moments feels inherited rather than imitated. I was also surprised to see Margot Robbie. I recognized her voice instantly before even fully processing the character on screen, which was a fun little moment of recognition. But once again I found myself detached from the story. Despite the stacked cast and visually pleasing presentation, I never really found an emotional anchor to hold on to, so the film felt more like an interesting display than something I was involved in.