Mainstream movie artistry is really in the toilet right now, and I think that for the most part the Euro and Indie scenes are wildly overrated. But one of the few positive things that is happening is the small but impressive new genera of low-tech science-fiction. Films like Monsters, District 9, Sunshine, and now Another Earth are to a certain extent reviving the traditions of profound thematic conception and dialogic and atmospheric suspense, in contrast to the special effects mayhem and “cowboys and indians” plots that have been nearly synonymous with science fiction films since Star Wars. To find something comparable to this new, low-tech sci-fi movement you have to go all the way back to stuff like Omega Man, Soylent Green, Logan’s Run, Blade Runner – not that those were great films necessarily, but they were (it can’t be denied) each a very different kind of artistic take on the future then, say, Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

The critics absolutely panned Another Earth, but they are idiots. This is a lovely, interesting film that reminds me a little of the classic works of Victor Nunez during the Indie Renaissance of the 1990’s. It has smooth, elegant pacing, good (if sparse) dialog and narration, a good score, excellent casting (especially voice casting) and solid performances. But mostly it is just a marvelous idea: It’s about how we struggle to deal with our own mortality, explored through the prism of the very finite number of choices we get to make in life. The parallel Earth is an allegory of what we can never know about our own existence, an allegory that here comes to life.

There is a quiet, low-key sensibility to the storytelling. The accident is handled much more tastefully then I had any right to expect (now that all movie car wrecks are shot like the climax of a Jason Bourne film.) The way our planet’s contact with Earth 2 is handled is a beautiful example of artistic restraint and efficiency. The relationship between the girl and the fellow who’s family she killed is gentle and mesmerizing. There are moments of haunting beauty throughout the film: the scene with the janitor springs to mind. And finally, I found the ending of the film to be absolutely bone-chilling. It’s damn-near perfectly executed, and quite overwhelming.

People bitch about the “science” of the story – forget it, it’s irrelevant! In science fiction, “science” only matters when you’re saddled with a bad story (e.g. Inception.) The point of this film is to reflect on the human condition. It does so beautifully. Just enjoy it!

Another Earth is one of the best films of 2011. It’s way better than anything nominated for an Academy Award. Take a chance! Netflix it, and let it gently wash over you with its understated depth and beauty.