I am proud to announce that after the long wait, Asteroid City has finally crash landed in movie theaters everywhere. This is Wes Anderson’s 11th feature film, and it could be argued that it is his most stylistic to date. But is it any good?

Without giving too much away, Asteroid City is about a very small town in the middle of the desert where a space convention is being held. In attendance are a wide variety of unique characters, and in most cases their smart, gifted children. But things take a turn (for better or worse) when an alien visits the desert town in the midst of a ceremony. What follows is a tightly paced story about a government coverup, an actress and a photographer, and other quirky scenarios all within one tiny town.  

To explain any more of the plot would be to spoil the movie, so you’ll have to see for yourself what happens in the end. 

Similar to every other Wes Anderson movie, Asteroid City is extremely stylistic in its writing, costumes, sets, camera movement, etc. Anderson’s most recent works (in particular The French Dispatch and The Grand Budapest Hotel) have been easily the most visually impressive of his career, and Asteroid City is another perfect example. 

The cast of Asteroid City is also something to behold, boasting names such as Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Sophia Lillis, Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Jason Schwartzman, and many, many more (including Jeff Goldblum in one of the greatest cameos of all time). Every actor in the film, even the small children, are absolutely perfect, and do an incredible job bringing their character(s) to life. 

Here are a few things critics had to say about the film:

“Asteroid City, the latest from Wes Anderson, is a true achievement from one of America’s most unique cinematic voices.” –Adam Mullins-Khatib, Chicago Reader

“The purest distillation of what this director brings to cinema, it’s beautiful to look at, surreal, nostalgic, and funny in a weird way.” –Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

“Star-studded, funny, and cleverly weaves stories together like only Wes can do. Well worth the long wait!” –Matt Crawford, Hannover Tribune

In conclusion, Asteroid City is without a doubt a must-see, and in my opinion it is one of the highest points in Wes Anderson’s career. It has a brilliant cast, masterful editing, a great soundtrack, clever, quippy dialogue, and a tightly woven plot that will have your full attention as soon as it begins.  It is currently playing in theaters and is rated PG-13. I highly recommend going to see it for yourself.