I made the effort to see this in a cinema despite the current circumstances because it seemed likely to be very good and worth seeing on a big screen - Villeneuve has an unignorable track record with science fiction via Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 and more generally (ie Sicario). And maybe anticipation was my enemy here, because while I thought it was good, it didn't completely immerse me or have the depth that I'd hoped for. On the other hand, it was persuasive in both its showier and smaller moments, and in its overall conception, and while its themes - environmental exploitation, colonialism, the hero's journey, and perhaps family - may be familiar, they're also cleanly drawn and married to a satisfying sense of heft. Chalamet good as always. As I said to someone recently, I've seen him in a few things now but it always feels at first thought like I've only seen him in Call Me By Your Name.
