Another Earth is a drama film with a science fiction backdrop. The story revolves around a girl named Rhoda, portrayed by Brit Marling, who has recently been accepted to study at MIT. Unfortunately, while driving home from a party she slams her car into that of a famous composer, killing his family and throwing him in a coma.

The rest of the film is mostly about the consequences for both the composer and Rhoda, as well as one of the causes of the accident: Rhoda looking out of the window of her car because she sees another earth in the sky. This visual cue is revisited many times in the movie as we slowly learn what the other earth really is. However, more central to the story is the relation between Rhoda and the composer, a fascinating role by William Mapother. The fact that the audience and Rhoda share a secret together from the outset of the movie makes for some particularly gripping moments.

Another Earth is recommended for people who like well crafted art house films. While it borrows elements from other movies, like Moon and Crash, it’s hard to really compare to existing work, which makes that it has a unique signature: a good thing. Another Earth is slowly paced, but consistently throws enough at you to hold your attention. To what extent you will like this movie probably depends mainly on whether you sympathize with the faith of the two main characters. The cinematographic execution is rough in some places, but not a distraction. Finally, the abrupt ending may be a disappointment to some, but I couldn’t think of a more appropriate one.

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

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