I was lucky enough to go to a screening of Asteroid City with my wife before it was released and finally wanted to get my thoughts down about it. Let me ask you a question, do you like Wes Anderson movies? If you said yes, you will like this! However, if you are not a fan of his previous stuff such as Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs, or The French Dispatch, this will certainly not win you over.
How to Download Asteroid City
You can expect to be able to download or stream the film from Peacock TV or another digital platform. It should be available about 45 days after its theatrical release (which happened on June 16, 2023). Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the current availability.
The Movie Review
After I saw the movie, I watched a few reviews to see what other people’s takes on Asteroid City were and they all pretty much said the same this. Asteroid City is the most Wes Anderson movie that he has done! It is almost like he himself did a checklist of what makes Wes Anderson movie and then decided to kick everything on that list up a notch.
The amazing cinematography and unique style that he is known for is truly on display here. From bright and vibrant scenes to scenes in black and white, it is truly a spectacle for the eyes and I cannot wait to see this again in 4K on my TV at home when it is released although, I know for sure I will be watching it on my own!
I would go as far as to say that this is the most visually striking Wes Anderson movie so far. Like his other movies, we have a massive ensemble cast with many classic actors who have been in his movies in the past. Jason Schwartzman is fantastic in what is arguably the lead role, but like most other Wes Anderson movies, it is hard to say that just one character is the main focus
So, just what in the heck is Asteroid City about? Well, that is the thing it is very hard to describe what we pretty much have here is a movie within a play that is within a movie! It is the kind of movie that you really just have to go with the flow and enjoy and if you have fun with it great.
The setting is a fictionalized and kind of “Tomorrow Land” 1950s American town called Asteroid City. There is a family that travels to Asteroid City so that they can compete in a star gazing event, only for an alien to show up and the whole town to be put into lockdown by the military! Now, when I saw the trailer for this, I thought that this was going to be Wes Anderson’s take on a sci-fi movie, but that is not exactly the case.
We follow the drama, the ups, the downs, the romances, and the tragedies of the people who are stuck in Asteroid City. I can tell you right now, I thought the movie was super charming and a lot of fun, my wife…. hated it and I mean hated it! She thought it was boring, made no sense, and felt like we only got tickets to the preview because the cinema knew people would not pay to see it.
This is going to be the most divisive of all of Wes Anderson’s movies so far. As I said, I enjoyed it, I thought it was fun and I got a kick out of the 1950s setting. However, if someone were to say to me that they hated it and thought it was pointless, I honestly would not have an argument for how they were wrong! There is no middle ground with this one, you will either like it or hate it and the only way to know for sure is to actually watch it!
