The next movie that I wanted to see last year but missed out on due to a bunk eye is Asteroid City. I generally enjoy Wes Anderson films and, with this cast list, it couldn’t miss. But this may be a difficult synopsis to write.

Asteroid City is set as a televised documentary about a stage play, which we see acted out on screen. Conrad Earp (Edward Norton) writes a play about an unusual group of people brought together to Asteroid City for a Junior Stargazer convention. Brilliant teenagers have been invited to accept awards for their various inventions. However, when an alien lands a UFO in the middle of their ceremony, Asteroid City is locked down and no one is allowed to leave.

I think this is one of those polarizing types of movies. I remember hearing a lot of bad things about it. However, I actually enjoyed the movie. The transitions between the documentary and the actual play kept me interested where I probably would have grown bored if it was just the Asteroid City parts. I also found myself smiling at all of the various cameos. While I don’t think this will be one of Anderson’s most beloved movies, I do think that it deserves to be watched at least once. You should probably watch it twice, though, just in case you missed something.

Rating: B+