John O’Connor reviews Andrew Haigh’s hit film which is sure to pull at even the toughest of heartstrings
As the lines between past and present begin to blur and inexplicably intertwine, director Andrew Haigh allows the audience to step into the life of Adam (Andrew Scott) at a crucial crossroad in his life in All Of Us Strangers. When Adam’s neighbour, Harry (Paul Mescal) drunkenly lands on his doorstep in their almost abandoned apartment complex, a much-needed relationship of warmth and understanding begins to grow between the two seemingly lost souls. The undeniable chemistry between the two Irish actors is undoubtedly the main talking point of the film’s short awards run and online presence and popularity.
Andrew Haigh’s first romantic feature film since 45 Years (2015) takes on a spectral and otherworldly form when Adam begins to visit his parents in his childhood home who appear to look just as they did the day they died, thirty years before. The BAFTA-nominated screenplay which has remained unjustly nameless in many other award circles was inspired by Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel Strangers. The film shares similar threads to previous Haigh films such as the loss of a loved one before their time in 45 Years (2015) and a budding queer relationship in Weekend (2011), but this adaptation shares a deep-rooted connection with Haigh. This connection is accentuated by Haigh’s use of his real childhood home as the set for Adams's fictional childhood home; an experience that Haigh stated, “ [he] would never repeat again.”
This connection is accentuated by Haigh’s use of his real childhood home as the set for Adams's fictional childhood home; an experience that Haigh stated, '[he] would never repeat again.'
Although the spotlight is being shone predominantly on Scott and Mescal's performances and Haigh’s screenplay, it is Claire Foy’s subtle and captivating performance as a mother coming to terms with her son's identity and her own time as a mother being regrettably cut short which holds the entire film together. It is Foy’s performance in this film that I believe will put her on the very short trajectory to shed herself of the typecasting which followed her success in The Crown (2016-2023). With performances in First Man (2018) and Women Talking (2022) and now her most nuanced yet enthralling performance to date, Foy has made a name for herself as one of the best British actresses of her generation working today, helping to create the winning formula this film has undeniably.
These impeccable performances are only enhanced by the work behind the camera. Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch’s score creates the ambivalent yet warm air of childhood memory and the loneliness and eeriness of Adam’s adult life. Adam’s childhood and present-day converge in the film's perfectly chosen soundtrack with 80s hits like Willie Nelson’s ‘You Are Always On My Mind’ playing a quintessential role in some of the film’s most moving and memorable scenes. The sound and auditory elements of the film complement Jamie Ramsey’s cinematography and film editing which seamlessly combines images, timelines and fleeting moments of loss and love all into a visual meal to be admired and devoured.
This film will remain in the cinematic ether for years to come and its rewatching will undoubtedly become a heartbreaking yearly tradition for many. Haigh’s newest achievement is a film that will break you but will then put you back together, maybe better than before.