By Bob Grimm

All of Us Strangers, which got a limited release last year in order to qualify for awards season, is now in wider release—and it’s quite simply one of the best and most beautiful films of recent months.

Directed by Andrew Haigh (who co-wrote the script), the film combines bold narrative choices with powerful-across-the-board acting to provide a love story that is unlike anything I’ve seen before.

The film provides constant surprises and manages to be both touching and haunting at the same time. It’s quite the accomplishment.

Andrew Scott plays Adam, a relatively depressed guy who is visited at his lonely apartment one night by an equally lonely neighbor, Harry (Paul Mescal). The two wind up in a relationship that provides much healing for both parties.

In the meantime, we see Adam traveling frequently to his childhood home to visit his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy), who are awfully young-looking. Adam has deep discussions with his parents about his sexuality, which are at times confusing but always infused with love and attempts at understanding. Adam’s relationships with both Harry and his parents are all very idealistic, in a way, as if the universe is finally aligning for him, providing him with a chance to be happy.

Scott and Mescal’s performances are full of greatness and aren’t getting the kind of notice they deserve. This movie came in a bit under the radar, and I’m quite sure most readers haven’t heard about it before. Bell and Foy are absolute perfection as Mum and Dad, one of the more memorable parental teams of 2023.

Very few movies in 2023 made me feel like I was seeing something truly new—and All of Us Strangers is one of them. When it’s over, you’ll realize you’ve never seen anything like it, and probably won’t see anything like it again.