All of Us Strangers
Written and Directed by Andrew Haigh
Starring: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, Jamie Bell
Rated R 
Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes
In theaters December 22

by Megan Bailey, Staff Writer

All of Us Strangers grabbed me by the heart and didn’t let go for a solid 105 minutes. Andrew Haigh takes another swing at earnest, heartbreaking cinema wherein Adam (Andrew Scott) is trying to write a script about his parents, who tragically died when he was eleven. After looking at his childhood home and wandering around his neighborhood, he encounters his father (played by Jamie Bell), who brings him home to see his mother (played by Claire Foy).  

This premise gives Adam the chance to say things to his parents that he was never able to before they died, and for them to do the same. Both Dad and Mum (as they go unnamed in the film) get the opportunity to know who their son is as an adult, to have conversations with him that affirm their relationship and their love for him. Even though they didn’t always communicate well during Adam’s childhood, they’re able to do so now. It’s bittersweet to get this time after having been apart for so long, but it’s healing and haunting for Adam.

Early in the film, he also meets Harry (Paul Mescal), the only other inhabitant in the new apartment building they live in. Harry shows up drunk at his door and asks to come in because of how lonely he feels in the empty building. Adam says no, but the two reconnect later when they see each other again. They talk about their different experiences in life, especially as queer men who grew up about a decade apart, and begin to fall in love. There are so many intimate interactions between Adam and Harry, and Scott and Mescal do great work together.

The whole quartet is phenomenal. Scott pulls off an incredible feat of seeming like a young boy even when he looks his age. His body movement and his gestures, especially in later parts of the film, feel so young that it’s almost heartbreaking. You can see the layers inside of him that are still affected by the loss of his parents. Foy and Bell are incredible as the parents, and they get to deliver up what has become my personal storytelling kryptonite: heartfelt apologies from parents.

If you’re looking for a film that makes logical sense or that explains its conventions, this isn’t the one for you. But if you’re willing to go on a journey, an emotional, healing journey, you’ll be rewarded for your time. Even Adam questions how real these conversations are with his parents, but all that matters is that it feels real to him and to us.

There’s something about grief, and loneliness, that feels so isolated yet universal. What Haigh pulls off here is so incredible, in that it embodies the intersection of alienation, queerness, and loneliness in such a touching way. It reminds you that even when you’re experiencing something for yourself, it doesn’t mean no one’s ever felt echoes of those feelings before. There are people out there—strangers—who have some idea of how you feel. 

For Adam, there’s Harry, who tells him about his own struggles with his family, his queerness, and his loneliness. As they get to know each other, we see how their experiences differ and line up. Their fear and loneliness make them kindred spirits in a way. They see each other for who they are and connect on a deeper level.

I love that Haigh used the house he grew up in as the setting for Adam’s childhood home, where he meets up with his parents. This film overall felt so personal, like a snapshot of the soul from Haigh. I want to applaud him for putting this much emotion on the page and letting us see it all.

There are so many interesting choices in terms of what we’re shown and not shown in the film. Mirrors and windows are used frequently to establish each characters’ place in scenes, but even in intimate moments, we’re often shown an unconventional angle. The cinematography in this film is masterful, and each frame feels so earnest. 

Overall, Strangers is an incredible film, and I hope anyone grieving their parents (with the emotional bandwidth to do so) can see this film. It’s haunting, healing, and so, so powerful. This is hands-down my favorite film of 2023.