It’s tragic that Andrew Hague’s All Of Us Strangers wasn’t nominated for a single Oscar. honestly, it’s a travesty. Considering the widespread praise this film has had, the only possible reason could be the belief that this is just another gay movie, and that would be such a mistake.

Andrew Scott plays a man who lives in England in one of those new condo buildings where no one else has moved in. Except one day, he finds a neighbor, who lives on another floor. Lost in their loneliness, these two connect, which sparks something within Scott, and he basically returns to his childhood home. the difference is, nothing has changed, and everything is as he left it, including his parents, who were killed in a car accident when he was a child.

While this film is about a gay man who gets to have conversations he never had with his parents, including about his sexuality, Andrew Hague has tapped into something within all of us. Much like how Selene Song realized how many people likely have relationships with too much distance, and wanted to ask the question of what would happen if that distance was closed thanks to social media after all those years, Hague taps into regret. He sees within all of us, gay or straight, that we all likely have something left unsaid with someone, possibly a parent, or another loved one, or even a friend, and the opportunity to return to that moment and have those conversations could be amazingly life changing.

It’s not all about being gay, but so much about his life after their death, as they live in a moment trapped in time before they passed, so even though they speak to the fully grown version of him, to them, its as if he just grew from a little boy and yet they don’t react with any level of shock. He can just have these conversations no matter how real they are, which Hague lets you decide, without any walls between.

It’s possible that Scott, whose character is a writer, is using this as a cathartic fantasy, but Hague also leaves open the door the possibility that this is really happening. So if you’ve ever passsed by your theatre showing All Of Us Strangers while people are crying walking out, it’s a tremendous experience, and one I was glad to have had in theatres. the audio description is done by someone, but i honestly didn’t stay through the credits. Bathrooms win sometimes. But, this moved me, and while I wasn’t fully sobbing, I was fighting this. Choked up, for sure.

On a personal note, it made me think of people I had lost, and that conversation I would have loved to have one more time. I lost a really good friend some years prior, and I distinctly remember being in a dream that night, which was about something else entirely, but he showed up in my dream, told me everything was OK, and left. The logical part in my head tells me that my brain did that for me, but it just felt like I was stepping out of the dream for a minute to have this conversation, and in some odd way I’ve always held that as a reason for me finding some peace for someone who died far too soon. So, while I didn’t quite reach the level of being compelled by the narrative of Past Lives, I understood it, and I can say that this is right in the same path.

Sadly, people aren’t watching it, and I fear because the lead is a gay man. But, not everyone wants to share that with the person or family member that’s gone. If I could have all the conversations I wanted to have, only some of them would I feel the need to bring up my sexuality, but others would be about how i should have called them back, or I should have tried harder. Guilt and regret drive the emotional weight of All Of Us Strangers, which is easily one of the best films of the year.

The performances are pretty damn good, with Claire Foy being given possibly the most heartbreaking moment of all between her and Scott. Jamie Bell has a great moment too. while I ahven’t mentioned how Paul Mescal works in this film, he is in quite a bit of it, and he seems like the unsung supporting character, much like how John Megarro was for past Lives.

You owe yourselves this film. We all need a good cry sometimes. Just the other day, someone who is really just starting to get into film asked me for films that were a good cry, and this was on my list. Exceptional work, and one the Academy will regret years from now having not nominated.

Final Grade: A