The World to Come

AroView: A first-rate lesbian-themed drama set in the American frontier that will as much satisfy fans of ‘First Cow’ and ‘Little Women’ as ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’.

It’s a slow-burn romance in all right ways, carried by the immaculate performances of Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby, but it’s also interested in historical context and world-building and the seductive power of the written word. Co-scripted by the writer of one of the great modern Westerns (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), the film’s craft extends to its stunning painterly photography and a distinctive woodwind score.

Note: Director Mona Fastvold is the partner and collaborator of acclaimed film-maker Brady Corbet (The Brutalist, Vox Lux).

“It’s as simultaneously chilling and warming as a slug of ice-cold vodka, and just as liable to make your mind swim and eyes prick.” ~Robbie Collin, The Telegraph

“Scripted with heightened literary cadences by Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard, the film is well crafted in every respect.” ~Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily

“A ravishingly beautiful love story set in 1850s America, with painterly visuals that nod to the work of Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent.” ~Xan Brooks, The Guardian