A One Mann’s Movies review of “Here” (2025).
I’ve just reviewed one of the most innovative films from last year, “Hundreds of Beavers“. And here comes what might be one of the most innovative films of 2025. Out in UK Cinemas on January 17th, “Here” is a real oddity of a film. It’s a film in four dimensions. But, for most of the film at least, three of the dimensions – the spatial ones – remain fixed!
You have to respect Robert Zemeckis for trying new concepts in cinema. I remember – and it was about this time in the year as well in 2018 – his release of his really interesting take on “Welcome to Marwen” with Steve Carell. This film is equally striking.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Here” Plot Summary:
We explore how events evolve around a particular point of earth. We watch as a house, opposite to Benjamin Franklin’s colonial mansion, evolves in time. And we explore the lives that the house has impacted.
Certification:
UK: 12A; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC web site: “Infrequent strong language, moderate sex references, discriminatory terms”.)
Talent:
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Zsa Zsa Zemeckis, Michelle Dockery, Gwilym Lee, Nicholas Pinnock, , Nikki Amuka-Bird, David Fynn, Ophelia Lovibond.
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis.
Written by: Eric Roth, Robert Zemeckis & Richard McGuire.
Running Time: 1h 44m.
“Here” Summary:
Positives:
- A fascinating approach to film-making with a fixed camera position and different ‘frames’ peeping into different eras.
- A terrific orchestral score by Alan Silvestri.
- A moving finale, linking the importance of ‘place’ to the minds of dementia sufferers.
Negatives:
- Seriously weird ‘uncanny valley’ effects for both Hanks and Wright.
- Some of the scenes featured were shallow in terms of drama and the dialogue was stilted.
Review of “Here”:
Remember the Time Machine mannequin.
As a child, one of the science-fiction films that inspired me more than any other was George Pal’s classic 1960 version of “The Time Machine”. In that film, George Wells (Rod Taylor) sits in his Time Machine in his laboratory and slowly pushes the lever forwards. While he stays in the same place, the world changes around him as he moves forwards in time. This is typified by the changing fashions of the mannequin in the shop window across the road. From the film’s script:
EXT. STREET – FULL SHOT – (NIGHT) – (STOP MOTION) 101
With the speed of wind, pedestrians streak across
the pavement. The bright lights of the night pop
out one after another leaving a sparingly
illuminated street. The HUMMING SUBSIDES. The
mannequin previously seen in the show window now
wears the clothing of the “Roaring Twenties”. A
distant CLOCK STRIKES ELEVEN.
BACK TO TIME TRAVELLER 102
Speaks surprised.
TIME TRAVELLER
Good heavens, that’s a dress?
MANNEQUIN – MED. SHOT 103
From her pretty face with the funny hat, the
CAMERA PANS DOWN to the hem line of her skirt,
twelve inches from the floor.
BACK TO TIME TRAVELLER 104
A smile appears on his face.
TIME TRAVELLER’S VOICE
This was intriguing. I wondered
just how far women would permit
this to go.
He pushes the lever ahead. Flashes and HUMMING
INCREASE and we:
BLUR TO:
THE MANNEQUIN – FULL SHOT – (DAYS & NIGHTS) – 105
(ANIMATION)
As the years speed by INTERRUPTED BY SHORT BLURS,
the dresses of the mannequin change. The skirts
get shorter and shorter, then drop inch by inch
while the hair styles vary. The bosom appears to
swell with the sinking neckline and flattens as
the neckline rises. During this:
TIME TRAVELLER’S VOICE
I began to grow fond of that
mannequin. Maybe because, like me,
she didn’t age.
I was fascinated by the concept that the Time Machine remained in place but time flowed around it. Of course, in the film, George goes forwards in time through World War 3, encasement in lava and untimately ends up in a utopian future (with hidden issues!) in the year 802,701.
This is the very concept embodied by “Here” as we see the land evolve over time and our specific house built around it.
The main focus on one family.
While the house has had multiple inhabitants, we largely focus on the life and times of one particular family. This is led by Al (Paul Bettany) and Rose (Kelly Reilly) who move into the house after WW2. Their son Richard is played by Tom Hanks and his teenage girlfriend Margaret is played by Robin Wright. Spin forwards in time and their rebellious daughter Vanessa is played by Zsa Zsa Zemeckis (keeping it in the family!)
Other occupants are an early aviator John Harter (Gwilym Lee) and his wife Pauline (“Downton”s Michelle Dockery); Lee Beekman (David Fynn) and his bohemian wife Stella (Ophelia Lovibond), the inventer of a new recliner chair which he calls the ‘Relaxer-Boy’ (he needs to work on the name!); and a modern black couple Devon and Helen Harris (Nicholas Pinnock and Nikki Amuka-Bird).
A terrific score.
Zemekis’s composer of choice, Alan Silvestri, again returns to score this film and what a great job he does. The score is epic when it needs to be but also quiet and melodic in the quieter scenes. I stayed through the end titles to listen to it (despite not being on a monkey hunt)!
Shallow storylines.
My main criticism of the film is that, really by necessity given the breadth of its ambition, the story is quite shallow. I was continually linking in my head the early parts of the film to Walt Disney’s famous “Carousel of Progress” ride in Florida’s Magic Kingdom. Have you experienced that? In the ‘ride’, you sit in a theatre which periodically revolves around different stages in a family’s history. Each stage contains animatronic representations of a family in various periods through the 20th century. The action in each scene is pretty basic… in the form of “Gee, these electric lights really help me to read my book in the evening” and “Gee, look at that guy walking on the moon”. As each stage revolves out and in, the characters sing an infuriatingly catchy little tune…. “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow… waiting at the end of every day!”
I’m afraid I found myself internally singing this tune as some of the scenes in “Here” evolved. Because I found the story and the dialogue in some of these scenes to be a bit banal. Also at times, the agenda was pushed too pointedly. For example, the Harris parents sitting their son down on the sofa and telling him how he should behave during a police stop to prevent him being shot. (Ultimately I think – it was not very clear – he was indeed killed in a police shooting.)
A disturbing trip down uncanny valley.
When you have characters that have to range in age from teenage to old, is it better to use young actors and use make-up to age them or use old actors and use “Irishman” style special effects to ‘youngify’ them? I would always assume the former; this film assumes the latter. We get the experience of a “Big” era Tom Hanks; through a “Castaway” era Tom Hanks through a “Angels and Demons” era Tom Hanks through to a modern day, slightly aged, Tom Hanks. It’s a bit weird.
Even more disturbing somehow is the appearance of Robin Wright. Her teenage persona reminded me of an alien shape-shifter running low on battery power and desperately trying to retain her human form! I found it most unnerving. I recently read that Fede Alvarez ran out of money to properly fix a VFX ‘uncanny valley’ moment in “Alien Romulus” (If you’ve seen it, you’ll know the one!). But he has had it ‘fixed’ for the home release version. This feels like a similar story. The VFX, particularly for Wright, needed more time and money thrown at it.
But this is a film that has stuck with me.
I went to see this with the Illustrious Mrs Movie Man and the Saintly Sarah Shaw, both of who really loved it. (The IMMM was quite emotional by the end and only held back from giving it 5 stars due to the rather odd opening section.) She revelled in the emotion of the family stories. I’ll agree that the ending – linking the importance of location familiarity to sufferers of dementia – was very touching and neatly done. But I will admit to being a little baffled by her emotional response to the film (I clearly have no soul!), given my perception of the shallowness of the stories.
That being said, I have thought about this film a lot since I’ve seen it, and the IMMM and I have had long discussions on walks about it. As a result, I upped my rating from an initial 3 stars to 3.5 stars.
Summary Thoughts on “Here”
A very different movie experience. This is a film that can appeal to both adults and older children. The “12A” certificate even feels a little overcooked to me…. check the BBFC detailed content analysis for details, relative to your child, here. I would have no problem taking my older grandkids (10, 9 and 8) to see this… it might inspire the same science interest that I myself acquired from “The Time Machine”!
The film is on general release in UK cinemas on January 17th.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Here”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_id-SkGU2k.
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