Film Review: ‘Another Earth’ & Q&A with star/writer Brit Marling & director Mike Cahill

If you haven’t seen the trailer for Another Earth yet, I suggest you do so. It’s one of the most captivating and interesting trailers I have seen in a while. It was no surprise then that I was looking forward to seeing the film. The film didn’t quite disappoint me, but it didn’t wow me as much as the trailer did, funnily enough.

The backdrop of Another Earth is that a duplicate Earth with duplicates of ourselves has been discovered. The movie follows one girl, Rhoda (Brit Marling), as she tries to deal with the guilt of accidentally killing one man’s family. She wonders whether her other self on Earth 2 has the exact same faith as her, and decides to enter a contest for a trip to Earth 2. All the while, she tries to confront John, the man whose family she killed, but chickens out. Instead, she starts to form a friendship John, which makes it harder for her to tell him the truth about who she is.

The story and tone is what you would expect from the usual indie drama. Unfortunately, much of the focus is put on the drama rather than sci-fi aspect of it. I wanted to know more about this other Earth. The whole “another Earth” concept is what really sets this movie apart from the typical indie drama fare. I feel that if they explored the sci-fi aspect further, the movie would’ve been much more interesting.

I can see why Brit Marling is now emerging as the new “It” indie darling. She has a cool charm that makes her enjoyable to watch. Director Mike Cahill is a gifted director. With very little resources, he was able to make a beautiful film. If anything, I think the biggest downfall of Another Earth was the script not taking on the sci-fi more.

At the end, the movie definitely leaves you thinking. But not for too long. I was able to surmise what the “cliffhanger” ending meant in a couple minutes, and move on. However, I did stay for a Q&A with the star and writer Brit Marling and director Mike Cahill. Listening to them speak and explain some parts of the movie allowed me to appreciate it more. So while I do say that I don’t full out recommend it to everyone, I definitely say give it a chance if you’re up for it. If not in the cinemas, it’s certainly rent-worthy.

Another Earth will be released into select theaters July 22^nd.

Here are a couple pictures and video from the Q&A:

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