‘We Are the Strange’: the philosophical film that marks the dawn of the internet age
Throughout its rich history, the medium of cinema has thrown up countless films that seem to defy categorisation, given their unique tones and aesthetics. Few movies, though, are quite as enigmatic as the independent animated work We Are the Strange, directed by M dot Strange and released in 2007.
We Are the Strange is a film that grapples with the difficulty of loneliness, alienation and the persistent search for meaning in a world that often feels devoid of clarity. Taking place in a dystopian world that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, Strange’s movie focuses on the interconnected lives of several enigmatic characters: an abused woman named Blue, a strange hero called Rain, plus a living doll, eMMM.
Each of the figures makes their way through life’s slings, arrows and frequent moments of existential crisis. What’s most impressive about We Are the Strange, though, is its unique animation style, which fuses together the aesthetics of stop-motion, CGI and hand-drawn imagery to weave a truly immersive tapestry of colour and movement.
In that light, Strange’s peculiar cinematic work arrives like a dream from the deepest recesses of our imagination. Its innovative score and sound design, expertly made by Strange himself, create an overwhelming sensation of anxiety, much like the lives of its characters.
Overall, We Are the Strange can feel more like an art exhibition than a piece of cinema, which seems to detail the moment the pre and post-internet ages joined irreversibly. In the modern internet age, our lives are dominated by imagery, many of which seem to elude conceptual sense. There’s certainly an element of the absurdist and surreal methodology of David Lynch on offer, whom Strange had previously cited as an inspiration.
Elsewhere in the film, there is much homage to the great anime works of the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, particularly the likes of Akira, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Ghost in the Shell. This melded of influences certainly seems to predate our contemporary culture. In this artistic landscape, individuals can pick and choose the facets of culture that make up their personal preferences and identity.
We Are the Strange is not an easy viewing experience by any stretch of the imagination, but it might be perceived as a vital one for those wanting to make sense of an oft-nonsensical world. Amid its peculiar imagery and plotline that confounds from its very beginning, Strange details the kind of changes to society that an internet-reliant world would inadvertently bring about.
Strange had, in fact, wanted to release his film through YouTube rather than in cinemas because he wanted to retain all the rights to his own work. The movie premiered at the 2007 Sundance Festival as part of the Midnight Movie Program and was released in August of the same year.
Since then, We Are the Strange has attracted something of a cult following. Its unflinching combination of aesthetic, philosophical outlook, and emotional resonance has found its place in the heart of cinephiles with a penchant for the stranger side of the cinematic medium. It is a truly unique work of cinema, one that defies categorisation and invites its audience to re-evaluate their hitherto opinions on visual storytelling.
Check out the trailer for We Are the Strange below.
