User reviews

This movie is so fun to watch. Interesting story and amazing cast.

'Greatland' is a gonzo Orwellian mix of dystopian future with a dash of 'Clockwork Orange' and even 'Logan's Run' thrown in for contrast. Its brightly colored art direction takes cues from 'My Little Pony' which disguises the true totalitarian horror that the hero Ulysses must endure. Original in its design with some video game-like sensibilities this film keeps you guessing as to what the heck is going on until the very end.

The new fantasy sci-fi film "Greatland" is gonna rub some folks the wrong way. It is supposed to.

This is not personal opinion. Writer/Director Dana Ziyasheva expresses her pointed intentions during my interview with her.

To turn a Marxian phrase, "Government is the opium of the people." Mindless obedience and unquestioned faith invested in those who solely, and soullessly, seek to keep the masses mollified appears to be one of many themes running through "Greatland". Does this notion dovetail on any level with your intent?

Greats dismiss the notion (of) government as something contemptible that only exists in Evildom. Greats think, they are free, superior to everyone else and no one tells them how to live their life. In fact, they are treated as mindless children by Altruists, the de-facto government of Greatland. Altruists are convinced that they won all cultural wars, empowered every minority group and gave rights to everybody, down to insects.

Clerk is the one who tries to convince Altruists to tune into people's mood. His "Mind Map" shows the growing discontent in the society that Altruists chose to ignore. Clerk worries that social contracts are not working anymore, and Greatland is increasingly vulnerable to external aggression. To me, the realpolitik and erudite Clerk exemplifies the type of a government that sees itself as a servant of people and not their master.

One thing for certain, this is a story that seeks to sear and skewer rampant, over the top, detached political correctness. The relentlessly moving target of ever evolving "gender fluidity", blind acceptance of absurd, and absurdly dangerous, societal tenets and self-delegated "PC doctrine policing" are all targets fired upon at will here. Your thoughts?

"Greatland" takes PC to the extreme, for sure. At the same time, Felinists and the Woof Party can hurl insults at each other all day long, it doesn't change the fact that most of Greats depend on "Mother" for food and shelter. Greatland shows the futility of arguing over definitions and words when one lives in a dumpster. In fact, that's what Altruists want: a population consumed with these endless arguments; it's one of the "divide and conquer" techniques.

The young actor Arman Darbo delivers a strong performance as the pivotal character of Ulysses in "Greatland". His "journey of truth" mimics that of Tennyson's mythic hero, culminating with a climacteric quote from the bard's classic poem near the film's conclusion. Talk about directing this promising young talent Darbo, and about the investigation of exploration, both physical and personal, in "Greatland".

Arman and I discussed the script of "Greatland" a lot, and even modified some of Ulysses' lines based on Arman's feedback. Arman made the logic of "Greatland" his own. At the center of this world is his relationship with "Mother"; Ulysses loves "Mother" like his real mom, he doesn't know better. Arman interacted with the watch on his wrist as if it was a person which was so crazy, it gave me goosebumps!

Ulysses is your average teenager, mild-mannered and apathetic -- the proverbial still waters that run deep. He's OK with the system as long as it serves his interests. The story is told from Ulysses' perspective. What for (the) audience is a discovery of Greatland with its weird rules, for Ulysses is just another day in his life. Arman's relaxed and matter-of-factly portrayal of Ulysses helped to "sell" this world to the audience.

Ulysses' character also has this ambiguity that Arman and many teenagers have: you think he doesn't pay attention, he doesn't care, and all of a sudden, he comes up with an original solution to a riddle. That made the character less generic and more visceral, unpredictable, grounded in reality.

I agree with a film critic at the Moscow Film Festival who hailed Arman's work in "Greatland": "To play such a fierce pink trash in that serious committed manner and without a drop of embarrassment is a feat. And the young man in the frame is like fish in the water."

What drives you to make films, Dana?

My mind works like a prism. It reflects the reality, but the image bounces off of so many angles that what gets eventually projected on the screen surprises me more than anyone else. Making a film is a journey, from the idea inception to who gets to be in the "Thank you" credits. Both the journey and the destination are very exciting and I guess this is what drives me.

This movie offers very little. I personally forced myself to watch the entire thing. Unfortunately it lead nowhere. The poor acting is only surpassed by the horrible script. The best comparison I can give would be Zardoz. A movie that seem to be lost in it own world. Not sure if you should be a comedy or a drama. Infact, i did not laugh, or cry, just dumbfounded by the stupidity of it all. . This is no gem, and should net see the light of day.

Insanely creative social and cultural commentary - can't really be explained, but you've got to see it, and see it through for an ending that'll rock your perceptions!

I've never seen anything quite like it!

For you that love to run photoshop or edit on adobeview and love filtering the world around you. the serious viewer might find similarities to ongoing pandemic and upcoming election. its not for the grumpy old man

I had high hopes for this movie. I had heard it was deep and thought provoking, something that would perhaps enlighten me. I had heard it was true to our modern world and gave answers to questions we all have. I was severely disappointed. This movie is awful. The plot is confusing and seems to change every other scene. While some shots are filmed beautifully, others look to filmed on an iPod touch. The costumes were cool, but couldn't add anything to the plot BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PLOT. The entire movie was satire about extreme leftist ideals, but I couldn't tell what the characters would have preferred. They had no drive to do anything productive. The acting was pretty awful, although at times they did ok. The characters had confusing and weird relationships with eachother and I was constantly trying to figure out what they all wanted. I came in with high hopes and was not satisfied. However, I would suggest this movie. It was like an acid trip that leaves you scratching your head, not in an intellectual way, but a "what the hell did I just witness" way. Good luck and enjoy Greatland.

Visually this film is loads of fun, and this film's concept could have been interesting. However it fails to explain or bring any measurable resolution to what it is trying to say. The movie feels artsy and teeters on the verge of self-awareness, but never really makes it over that hill, instead ending up confusing and unsatisfying.

The actors play their parts admirably, and the set designs and props, while showing their budget, are well selected and represented. It is a shame that the film they are contributing to doesn't give the crew and cast a chance to shine.

Really interesting film especially if you're looking for something different than the hollywood norm. The filmmakers take some chances and that's something I always appreciate. Strap in for a feast of color and style.

There is something deeper to this then what initially begins considering the times we live in. (pandemic, alternative facts) Definitely embracing their weirdness in this unique story. Indie fun if that is your appetite.

From what people say, there is a political message in this film that is supposed to be relevant to this day and age. Truth is this film is just some nonsense that was written during the car ride home from a San Francisco rave. The only genius you can find in this film is the fact that you can turn it off. I recommend you never even turn it on... You're welcome.

Surreal, cosmic comical coming of age story for the moment. There are so many wild and interesting ideas and visual motifs in this film, each scene will take you by surprise. There is comedy, love and heartbreak, all set against a colorful world, but which resonates with our actual one. Never a dull moment.

This movie is calling out the current drive towards marginalised heterosexuality and post-truth norms, throwing in a lot of quiet references to the elite that drive it.

It is a simple tale, made unnerving through its near documentary level window onto modern media presentations of the post-truth.

I didn't regret watching it, as it was nice to know that at least a few other people see the current social trends in a similar light to me.

This movie could have been written by anyone of the Proud boys or Trump himself. It's over the top portrayal of ethics and morality seems to imply that any change to society's moral code is a bad thing. If the actors knew about the goal of this film and still chose to act in it, they should be embarrassed at least and ashamed at best. This film takes every conspiracy theory and tries to imply that they have been forced to upon society and this film is the result. This movie is an attempt to scare people into thinking that diversity is a bad thing, that the only morality is one that never changes and born in the 50s, that covid is hoax, and Trump was cheated out of the election. Do not waste your time!

It's super refreshing to see an independent film that HAS A VISION and a style. In a sea of average movies, this one stands out for good reason. The music is amazing as well. I found this engaging and entertaining overall.

Greatland is a satirical look at modern society. There is some inventive art direction and great young performers. If you enjoy films like Fahrenheit 451 or Brazil, you'll like Greatland.

Ugly Duck is not Ugly! She's so pretty so expressive in her performance. She and Arman Darbo are such a cute couple! Girl + Boy + danger to overcome + heroic journey to accomplish = good movie = happy viewer

Dressed in all the vivid Willy Wonka colors of an oscillating acid trip, the wholly inspired and whip-smart class system satire "Greatland" presents two very disparate worlds in what becomes a wildly headstrong and elite piece of moviemaking from director Dana Ziyasheva.

The young Ulysses (Arman Darbo) introduces the fantastical city of Greatland, a candy-colored mecca in which the downtrodden and their gutted cityscapes are glossed over with glitter, neon, and the distracting encouragement of perpetual fun - as long as it fits the grander schemes of forces that live to assure their own indulgences. When Ulysses' soul mate is sent to Redemption Island, Ulysses leaves the veneers of Greatland to find her, and his quest soon yields the epiphanies we tend to have when we first come to realize how the other half lives.

Improbably evoking black-lit colorizations of "Dr. Strangelove," "The Wizard of Oz," and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" in equally warped measure, "Greatland" shows us all the warts and scars respectively worn by the privileged and the distressed, and does it with a distinctness of vision only the best satirical filmmaking has conjured. - (Was this of use? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!)

What the world would be like if humanity cedes any authority to the morally deranged minority among us.

Through shouting the loudest and calling everyone who doesn't agree with their agenda a bigot, they hope to cow those not mentally ill among us to remain silent and just accept their deviant behaviour.

Reminiscent of a Terry Gilliam world mixed with Idiocracy, this inventive indie creatively explores many of today's most pressing issues and questions within the context of a richly envisioned and satirical world. Would recommend!

This movie is a wild ride! The set designs and special effects so colorful. Ugly Duck, Chloe Ray Warmoth was spectacular! I can't wait to see more from this rising star.

It's like Romeo and Juliette in a Circus

The two young leads give solid performances and are just stunning to look at. They bring peace and normalcy and are more mature than those old dudes in charge of this crazy place. "The child speaks the truth" it feels at times like an updated version of 1984 mixed with Idiocracy. A powerful and innovative score.

What an interesting, quirky, science fiction trip. Visually amazing, especially for an indie film. Love the art design for the production! The performances are fun and the movie has a lot to say about so many current issues that are going on in our world in 2020.

Psychedelic movies like Greatland are few and far between. Cats with Taytay may be coming close. It takes creative courage to do something like this on a shoe string. Technically Greatland lacks the means necessary to carry out such ambitious world building. Story wise, it's much more layered and complex than Cats. Although it has only a tiny fraction of its budget, Greatland has a great music and stunning imagery. Acting is also good with few exceptions. A lot of really colorful larger than life characters. I love it, I'm buying it and hosting a watching party with my friends shrooms.