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There are several end-of-the-world movies that feature cataclysmic events threatening all life on Earth. Some are set before the end comes, some during it, and some after it has occurred. “Melancholia” is one film that takes place in the stages leading up to those final moments and what it means to be human.<\/p>\n
Released in 2011, “Melancholia” follows the family troubles of Justine, Michael, Claire, and John, played respectively by Kirsten Dunst, Alexander Skarsg\u00e5rd, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Kiefer Sutherland, who starred in the espionage thriller “Rabbit Hole” on Paramount Plus<\/a>. In “Melancholia,” family troubles and high-running tension between characters ruin a wedding and end a marriage. Meanwhile, Earth is on a collision course with a planet called Melancholia. It’s an edgy flick that blends science fiction with drama through how the characters interact with each other as both their relationships and the world crumble to pieces.<\/p>\n Critics generally enjoyed that combination of heart-wrenching storytelling blended with a world-ending twist, but the movie didn’t do so well overall at the box office. With an estimated budget of $7.4 million, the film made\u00a0only around\u00a0$3 million\u00a0in ticket sales across the\u00a0United States\u00a0and Canada. The movie may have been underappreciated in the theater, but viewers seemed to really like it. It has an 80% rating on the\u00a0Rotten Tomatoes\u00a0Tomatometer, and its\u00a0Universal Acclaim score at\u00a0Metacritic sits at a healthy 81.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The plot of Melancholia<\/p>\n
Dimitrios Kambouris\/Getty Images<\/p>\n With the star-studded cast mentioned above, “Melancholia”\u00a0brought enough firepower to score some viewers on name recognition alone, and the stars generally delivered. Dunst earned multiple best actress awards for portraying Justine. Kiefer Sutherland, meanwhile, garnered multiple nominations for best supporting actor, with Alexander Skarsg\u00e5rd earning one best supporting actor nomination and winning the breakthrough performer award at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The bonus for him was that he got to act alongside his father, Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd, on the film.<\/p>\n The plot is about more than just the end of times. It follows Justine and Claire as they put their strained family relationship to the test. It’s a story about depression and its impact on not just individual people, but those around them. Justine is struggling with depression, even on the happiest day of her life\u00a0 \u2014 her wedding to Michael, played by Skarsg\u00e5rd, star of Murderbot<\/a>. All the while, blue planet Melancholia is discovered to be on a crash course with Earth, which has many believing the end is coming, while others are skeptical. Justine’s sister Claire wrestles with the approaching disaster.<\/p>\n Many reviewers\u00a0lauded the four main characters for the depth and emotion they add to the plot. Director Lars von Trier (of “Breaking the Waves” and “Dogville” fame) combines depression, fear, and fate to tell a heartfelt tale about family and being human. The performances by the actors really take the film to another level, making it more than an end-times movie.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n What viewers thought of Melancholia<\/p>\n
9dream studio\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n “Melancholia” is\u00a0not just about the planet being destroyed, but how people act knowing the end is coming and what it means to care deeply and feel. For those who have seen it, the general consensus is that it’s a character-driven drama with incredible performances by its leading and award-winning cast.<\/p>\n
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