Visionary director Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’ trailer dropped and we are here for all its sci-fi, retro-future goodness.
Every time I hear Wes Anderson as being attached to a new film, I know we will be getting a movie with beautiful cinematography and witty dialogue. His name is undoubtedly synonymous with unique visual and narrative styles, to say the least. The Asteroid City trailer (which you can watch below) has dropped and it certainly did not disappoint. Not only did it exceed expectations, but it actually set new levels for the film. I am hopeful Asteroid City (Focus Features) will live up to the quality of his previous works like Grand Budapest Hotel or French Dispatch. It’s Wes Anderson so really there isn’t anything to fear, to be honest. The teaser contained so much for the eyeballs to take in, so let’s unpack it all.
The plot
The trailer opens up to a recently widowed father, portrayed by Jason Schwartzman, and his family who have gotten stranded in “Asteroid City”, a fictional desert town set in 1955. The town happens to have a hyper fixation on space since that is where, what appears to be a fully-intact meteor, has struck the ground. The widowed dad calls his father-in-law, played by a silver-streaked Tom Hanks, to pick up the kids after the car breaks down. It seems the family are headed to the town for a junior stargazer event that the son is attending. The events unfold during “Asteroid Day”, which based on the trailer, is interrupted by an alien invasion. As far as I can tell, Independence Day, this is not. The alien visitation doesn’t show signs of being hostile. At least not physically that we can see.
What comes next is interesting, the apparent invasion causes the town to go under quarantine and during this time the townsfolk begin to question themselves. We don’t know what exactly occurs with the extraterrestrial encounter except for the aftermath. The events within the film appear to be transformative. Jason Schwartzman’s character has a telling, foreboding line, “I don’t like the way that guy looked at us, the alien…Like we were doomed.”
This solo line makes it feel like its inspiration may be about the recent worldwide quarantine and fear of the future. Usually, behind an Anderson film you’ll find rooted symbolism that reflects our given society. After the invasion and quarantine there is definite uncertainty and bewilderment among the townspeople creating what looks like to me a recipe ripe for self-discovery.
The look
It’s no shocker this film appears gorgeously designed. From his previous works I can always find an underlying theme. For Asteroid City it seems he has chosen a 1950s Roswell-inspired aesthetic. The pastel colors of 50s fashion and architecture pair well with the desert background. Wes Anderson beautifully captures a post war lens with a focus on the space race. In the trailer, you can see futuristic technology, giving the film a “retro-future” vibe—with it heavily focused on the retro.
Did I mention the star-power? What a positively stacked cast list! An ensemble cast in the truest definition. Asteroid City has the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Carrel, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Margot Robbie and many more among its roster. Asteroid City, scheduled to come out on June 16th, 2023 which is not too long away. I, as I am sure many others are, am hoping to see more trailers as the release date approaches. Until then, I will be watching my favorite Wes Anderson films.
Enjoy this trailer review? Well then check out Jairin’s trailer review for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem!
