South of Hope Street

I grade message movies by their message and how they deliver it. Some message movies are huge blockbusters - like Don't Look Up. Other message movies are just really good message movies - like. Leave the World Behind (both are Netflix movies) which is a really good realistic end of America as we know it kind of movie. As far as message movies go, this one I'm reviewing is good. It isn't a blockbuster. It isn't a really good one. It's good. It is a message, meant to feel Detached From Reality, it is presented as if detached from the audience, and we remain detached from the movie and from the story. It isn't about the story. It isn't about A Movie. It is about the message,m and they don't waste time - nearly everything in every scene is a message. Look, listen, watch. It's not meant to be an exciting story. THAT Is how they got some of the bigger names on the project. It's about the MESSAGE. Stop ignoring everything and stop thnking it's only worth paying attention to if it wins awards.

South of Hope Street is a riveting film written, directed and produced by Jane Spencer.

I was immediately drawn into the other-worldly action of a chaotic, absurd, soulless universe. The foreboding tone was balanced by the film's artistry; particularly, in the character of Tom and through the mysterious, captivating two moons of the enlightened universe.

Spencer's direction evokes tones of Fellini and brushes of brilliant auteurs. The panoramic scenes were spirit-lifting. Her concise dialogue flows from the vernacular to the poetic, seamlessly. Excellent music choices and impressive special effects successfully merge all the elements of an ambitious vision.

William Baldwin, Judd Nelson and Michael Madsen are part of the talented cast led by Tanna Frederick. Her performance as a jobless, homeless Denise navigating a dystopian world, in search of normalcy, reminded me of Homer's Odysseus. As she looks to the sky and sees two moons, she questions everyone she knows and meets, desperate for answers. Baldwin delivers as Lt. Winthrop, a diabolical head of the man-made universe's military. Judd Nelson counters with a heartfelt portrayal of Tom, a janitor-poet.

Aside from enjoying some of the Star Wars movies, I am not a fan of the sci-fi genre. South of Hope Street didn't feel like science fiction to me. It felt like a cautionary tale. The timeliness of its message both frightening and hopeful.

I wish everyone would see this beautiful, poignant film.

I just had the chance to watch South of Hope Street, and wow - what an experience. A friend who caught the UK premiere in London last month told me it was unmissable, and they weren't wrong. This film is a trippy, thought-provoking allegory that feels like a snapshot of our fractured world, wrapped in stunning visuals and powered by incredible performances. It's not just a movie; it's a wake-up call, a piece of alternative art that challenges the way we see the times we're living in.

The lead plays a strangeoid writer, laying low and avoiding a draft into an Orwellian war between the West and Asia. The storyline is both surreal and disturbingly grounded, delivering a sci-fi narrative with such a raw, realistic edge that it feels like it could happen tomorrow... or maybe it already is. It's rare to find a film that blends such a futuristic premise with such an authentic, human feel. Highly recommend this one if you're into bold, unapologetic storytelling that leaves you thinking long after the credits roll.

A must seen for filmlovers. It's been a while that I haven't seen such a profound and deep movie with an european arthouse-touch which was the perfect way to present the different messages in an abstract way with using appropriate metaphors. I felt like back in time and enjoyed to see how the ensemble - in a playful Felliniesk style - carried me through this journey. Beside the solid performances of the veterans some new interesting and charismatic faces where refreshing. Great visuals and a good sounddesign make the movie accessible also for an audience which just want to be entertained. All in all a very good movie with a brise of dark humor and cool music like Thunderclab's Newman "something in the air" or Donovan's evergreen. I strongly recommend to watch this unique masterpiece.

It's refreshing to finally watch a sci fi film that harkens back to films such as Jean Luc Godard's Alphaville or Terry Gilliam's Brazil with an updated spin on it. Director Jane Spencer (Little Noises) has created a cryptic cinema of ethereal mystery where characters attempt to unlock the meaning of their own existential dilemmas. It avoids pretentious monologues but instead focuses on the inter relationships between multiple characters attempting to make the most of the catastrophes looming around them, where the only solution appears to be in fostering a new form of collective resistance of non violence. In many ways this film parallels the ideas of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People. Nobody will believe the main character who consistently brings up to a passive and conformist public that there are 2 moons in the sky. How does this affect their psyches - what are they going to do about it - and why is the government so keen to cover it up? This phenomenon drives home a deeper metaphor about the meaning of how humanity neglects what is most important until it's too late. This is not a movie that follows a plot line with predictable choices made by its characters but instead allows the audience to reflect on the big ideas presented. The cast is exceptional and is fully invested in this bleak world where poetry is dying to be reborn.