Another Earth (2011)

Humanity has always wondered if we are alone in the universe. Is life on this tiny grain of sand on the vast beach called the universe unique? With UFO sightings and projects like SETI we are looking for answers, but have still not found an answer. In this movie another earth appears and people want to find out more about it. One of them is Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling), a young student who looks up at the sky when she hears about it and in doing so causes a horrible accident which changes her own life and that of others.

For those expecting a science fiction story I can say that it is not. The other earth is there, but it’s just a small part of the story, just like it was in another movie with a similar idea, Melancholia. This movie isn’t as dark, but does deal with the personal struggle Rhoda is going through. She once was a promising student, but now has a job cleaning schools. She wants to face the one she has caused pain, but is afraid to do so. When she hears about a competition that could give her the opportunity to join a spaceship to the other earth it’s a chance for her to escape it all and at the same time to allow her to face her fears.

Another Earth review

This was a movie made on a small budget (just $200.000), but just as movies like Bellflower or Monsters it really doesn’t show. This is a drama which works because the convincing acting of both Brit Marling and William Mapother (who most will recognise from Lost). The effect of the other earth appearing looks stunning. Part of me wants to see a sequel to this as it could explore other questions we have about how we would react to knowing there is other life out there.

Score: 8

19 thoughts on “Another Earth (2011)

  1. As a dedicated sci-fi hater, I approached this movie with some dread. Amazingly, I absolutely loved it. If I’d seen it last year, I’d have put it in my top low-budget films of the year. Marling has the capacity to be a HUGE talent.

  2. I’ve watched Melancholia and I really enjoyed it, and Another Earth seems like a quite interesting take on the unknown. I’ll probably watch this movie soon enough, just have to find the time to do it :3

  3. Heard mixed reviews of this. Glad to hear you liked it, looking forward to this again after hearing some negativity about it! And it’s got Ethan from Lost. He’s creepy.

  4. This was such a beautiful little film. The shots of Earth 2 hovering in the background were eerily beautiful, and Marling and Mapother were brilliant. Would love to see more of Marling in the future.

  5. I quite like the fact that the sci-fi part actually takes a backseat if you will, to the dramatic core of the story, the relationship between the two protagonists. I know it’s really, really slow but I was quite taken by the story and the performances. Glad you liked this one too, Nostra.

  6. I was really looking forward to seeing this film but disappointed it wasn’t shown anywhere near me. Glad you enjoyed it, can’t wait to see it when it comes out on blu ray. Great review

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