Chloé Zhao
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…contrived in a “Shakespeare in Love” sort of way…
Some of these have been highly fictitious, such as the brilliant "Shakespeare in Love," which earned multiple Academy Awards…
This is not Shakespeare in Love redux.
…movies about William Shakespeare (whether his life or something less straightforward than that [e.g., Shakespeare in Love, which focuses on what, fictionally speaking, inspired him to write Romeo & Juliet]) have become part of their own genre…
Although there are some thematic similarities with Shakespeare in Love, with the Bard getting ideas that we recognise from his theatrical work, this is a far more testing and upsetting film…
Chloe Zhao's Hamnet is a kind of flip side to Shakespeare in Love.
Though the second half of the film is better with great action sequences and beautifully constructed moments that feel out of "2001: A Space Odyssey" or the end of 1968's "Planet of the Apes," it doesn't make up for an oddly structured part one that feels like it was pieced together, taken apart, and then Frakensteined all over again.
Certainly, nobody goes to a Marvel film expecting 2001: A Space Odyssey , but one can’t help but wonder how invigorating it would be if these films – which have embraced formula to such an extent as to become rote – took some narrative and stylistic risks and let some concepts remain nebulous.
Like the monoliths of 2001: A Space Odyssey , they nudge us along at the key turning points of civilisation, and provide inspirations for ancient human myths.
Arishem needed to be the equivalent of 2001: A Space Odyssey ’s monolith.
The film frequently feels like Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," mixed with the free-flowing narrative ambitions of Terrence Malick, rather than any superhero film you've seen before.
Eternals is a ponderous sci-fi movie about the meaning of existence, drawing from heady cult classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life.
Eternals goes out of its way to tell us how special and unique humans are compared to other species — a real “fuck you” to the MCU’s non-human heroes and characters despite Rocket’s arc in Guardians of the Galaxy delivering far, far more emotion than Zhao’s film can manage for all of its characters combined — but for all of the natural beauty that Zhao and cinematographer Ben Davis catch (and the CG wizards create), we see very little of humanity itself.
The last few minutes emit serious Guardians of the Galaxy vibes, and as much as I enjoy both of those two James Gunn–directed adventures, this is still a tonal shift I did not jibe with.
Chloe Zhao’s Eternals is Marvel’s latest foray into cosmic expansion, which started with the first Thor and continued into the Guardians of the Galaxy films, ultimately leading to the introduction of Thanos.
First seen and referenced in the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, the Celestials seeded Earth’s core millions of years ago with a future new one of their own.
It’s good that Eternals tries to take on a more serious tone than the other films in the franchise, but ultimately, while Guardians of the Galaxy is like an ‘80s-themed rager in outer space, Eternals is an overcrowded, vibe-less party held in the middle of nowhere that everyone wishes they could leave.
And so the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands in a way it hasn’t since 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” when joyous, self-deprecating humor propelled a merry band of misfits across the stars on their mission to save a star system.
His eventual turn to Hamlet as a vessel for mourning is rendered not as triumph but as an act of survival.
As Shakespeare’s Hamlet reminds us, “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.”
…the devastating inspiration behind Hamlet…
Zhao doesn't lean too heavily on the author's various Shakespearean references outside of the oft speculated idea that the bard's most famous play, 'Hamlet,' was inspired by the death of his son, the names Hamlet and Hamnet being interchangeable in the late 16th century.
…the writing and preforming of “Hamlet” is an epiphany for both William and Agnes, in that it meets mortality head-on, from the mourning of a loved one, to the effects of loss on those left behind and the fear of, “what dreams may come” in “that undiscovered country, from whose bourn / No traveller returns.”
…culminating in the creation and first performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet: a tribute born from heartbreak and enduring love.
This is all complimented by Zhao’s superbly understated direction, which refuses to draw much attention to itself at all beyond the odd gorgeous, lingering take, and perhaps a third-act homage to John Ford’s The Searchers (you’ll know it when you see it).
That one of the film’s final shots evokes the closing frames of John Ford’s The Searchers makes that abundantly clear.
Few actors can play determination as McDormand does—with unadorned stoicism—and by the close she has come to resemble those flinty, plain-spoken pioneer women familiar from classic westerns, or the men, like Ethan Edwards in “The Searchers,” who are fated to be alone.
In fact, you could well draw a line directly from the westerns of Ford to Nomadland — not Ford’s brawling, boastful westerns like She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Fort Apache , but his reflective, uncertain works like The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance .
Zhao’s flair for the open road recalls Dennis Hopper’s “Easy Rider” (1969), while her magic-hour skies rival Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven” (1978), offering Fern as a successor to Jack Nicholson in “Five Easy Pieces” (1970) and Harry Dean Stanton in “Paris, Texas” (1984), a masterpiece so profound that it’s hard to put into words.
The same applies to Jack Nicholson, as Bobby Dupea, at the bitter end of “Five Easy Pieces” (1970), abandoning his girlfriend at the gas pumps, beside the Red Rooster Café, and hitching a ride on a logging truck—no wallet, no plans, not even a jacket, although, as the trucker says, where they’re headed will be colder than hell.
Like Jack Nicholson’s Bobby Dupea in “Five Easy Pieces” (1970), she’s a loner and a leaver by nature, if not as cruel about it.
As a practically invasive character study, McDormand’s acting chops win out (following her somewhat random movement through life, like a modernized “Five Easy Pieces”); but as a complete picture, it’s largely lacking, even with a hint of a love story creeping up toward the finale.
It turns out that the film had less in common with “Grapes of Wrath” than it does with road movies like “Easy Rider” or “Five Easy Pieces”.
Days of Heaven (1978)
Directed by Terrence Malick
influenced Nomadland (2021), Eternals (2021)
Visuals Themes
Zhao’s flair for the open road recalls Dennis Hopper’s “Easy Rider” (1969), while her magic-hour skies rival Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven” (1978), offering Fern as a successor to Jack Nicholson in “Five Easy Pieces” (1970) and Harry Dean Stanton in “Paris, Texas” (1984), a masterpiece so profound that it’s hard to put into words.
Instead, Nomadland plays as a cerebral character study, although not too focused on the state of mind to shy away from the beautiful scenery existing all around Fern. Zhao, once again, settles into a cinematic atmosphere that calls to mind Days of Heaven and other dreamlike scenery out of a Malick film or something as pure from that time period.
Nomadland wanders the same American landscape as Badlands , Days of Heaven , To the Wonder , and Knight of Cups , asking similar questions about being-in-the-world, human meaning-making, and what Walker Percy calls “the search” in his novel, The Moviegoer .
Cinematographer Ben Davis uses natural light, floating camera angles and wide shots that seem lifted from Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven.”
But it benefits from Zhao’s instinctive curiosity and identification with outsiders, reminiscent of French filmmaker Agnès Varda, who turned her empathetic camera on vagabonds and gleaners in her innovative docu-fiction features (the French title of “Vagabond,” which translates to “With no roof or rules,” could be a nomad mantra).
Agnes Varda’s 1985 Vagabond (Sans toi ni loi ) was about a female transient wandering the backroads of France.
What I do know is that Zhao, like Kelly Reichardt (whose Wendy and Lucy is spiritual kin to this film), has a knack for gazing on the deeds of marginalized people with the greatest delicacy and empathy, without turning preachy or polemical.
It’s a character in these films — like Kelly Reichardt does with her penetrating work; see First Cow , Old Joy , Wendy and Lucy .
Fear not: “Nomadland” is still a real movie, with powerful bursts of anger and sorrow as Fern grows frustrated by her limited options and comes mighty close to exploiting the generosity around her. Though the spirit of Terrence Malick is prominent in Zhao’s lyrical style, “Nomadland” also calls to mind Ken Loach’s kitchen-sink realism for its depiction of lower-class angst clattering against the ambivalence of capitalism (consider the plight of the protagonist of “I, Daniel Blake”), not to mention Kelly Reichert’s visions of wayfaring loners (imagine Michelle Williams’ wanderer from “Wendy and Lucy,” all grown up and still no place to go).
The Tree of Life (2011)
Directed by Terrence Malick
influenced Eternals (2021), Hamnet (2025)
Themes Visuals
At times, Zhao’s vision feels in conversation with A Ghost Story, Bright Star, and even The Tree of Life.
An opening shot of a blazing sun, impressive on IMAX, looks borrowed from Malick’s creation sequences in “The Tree of Life.”
Eternals is Chloe Zhao’s The Tree of Life.
To these alternately ravished and glazed-over eyes, then, “Eternals” plays like an extravagant blockbuster riff on “The Tree of Life” — a connection that would feel deliberate even if a giant tree didn’t spring forth in one of the movie’s lovelier CGI epiphanies.
Eternals is a ponderous sci-fi movie about the meaning of existence, drawing from heady cult classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life.
Where Nomadland evinced a clear Terrence Malick influence in its fluid, butterfly-in-the-wind camerawork and cutting, Eternals occasionally suggests what The Tree Of Life might look like with Kevin Feige micromanaging the awe and wonder over the filmmaker’s shoulder.
Zhao’s flair for the open road recalls Dennis Hopper’s “Easy Rider” (1969), while her magic-hour skies rival Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven” (1978), offering Fern as a successor to Jack Nicholson in “Five Easy Pieces” (1970) and Harry Dean Stanton in “Paris, Texas” (1984), a masterpiece so profound that it’s hard to put into words.
It turns out that the film had less in common with “Grapes of Wrath” than it does with road movies like “Easy Rider” or “Five Easy Pieces”.
See Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet for another example of exactly that.
“Sentimental Value” is more realistic and nuanced than the glossy “Jay Kelly” (2025) or primal pre-Raphaelite “Hamnet” (2025) while somehow being more optimistic.
…feels of a piece with a more tragic tale of art and family like Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet…
Zhao is a spiritual descendent of another cinematic poet, Terrence Malick, and there are a handful of shots that look straight out of “The New World.”
An avowed admirer of Terrence Malick’s The New World—a lucid dream of American history—Zhao both equals and outdoes him with Nomadland, creating a portrait of America’s present that stands in sharp, unnerving contrast to its lofty promises.
Max Richter’s score is slightly dented by the use of his own “On the Nature of Daylight” – already used to similar effect in Arrival (2016), Shutter Island (2010), and The Last of Us (2023).
His score has been overused to emotional death in films like “Arrival” and TV shows like “The Leftovers.”
…most famously used in Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, where it all but swallowed Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score…
…musical score (Max Richter, Arrival)…
…a sparse but effective score from composer Max Richter (Arrival, The Leftovers)…
On the other hand, its gentle survey of humanity reminds me of another unlikely Disney production, David Lynch's The Straight Story , which is no small compliment.
Nonlinear storytelling has been used in superhero films such as Batman Begins.
This may upset those who hoped for something a little more in the vein of creator Jack Kirby’s artistic style (seen in Doctor Strange (2016) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017)) who crave that vibrant ‘70s style.
Not counting Lee’s outlier effort, the best of these seemingly odd combinations of filmmaker and material—I would submit Waititi’s “Thor: Ragnarok” and Coogler’s “Black Panther”—were due to the fact that the directors in question were able to negotiate the tricky balance between satisfying Marvel’s requirements for a product that would fit comfortably within their rigid parameters while at the same time retaining the kind of personal touch that presumably got their work noticed in the first place.
Taika Waititi, whose career trajectory is similar to Zhao’s (“What We Do in the Shadows” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”), scored well with his 2017 outing “Thor: Ragnarok.”
But the poster boy for the larval-to-Marvel transition has to be Taika Waititi, who not only made a decent movie in Thor: Ragnarok , but managed to infuse the studio product with a little of his own wacky sensibility.
Then came the auteurs and their looser, bolder takes: Taika Waititi's gleefully loopy Thor: Ragnarok ; Ryan Coogler's culture-smashing Black Panther ; Destin Daniel Cretton's breezy, balletic Shang-Shi and The Legend of the Ten Rings .
It all sounds quite exciting if a bit generic, but the execution has none of the pace and excitement of even one of the weaker previous MCU entries ( Thor: Ragnarok and Captain Marvel spring to mind) because the script is all over the place and the narrative is never allowed to build up any momentum.
There’s a scene in Nomadland so beautiful I gasped as it whisked my brain to some of Terrence Malick’s early work, Badlands and Day of Heaven .
Nomadland wanders the same American landscape as Badlands , Days of Heaven , To the Wonder , and Knight of Cups , asking similar questions about being-in-the-world, human meaning-making, and what Walker Percy calls “the search” in his novel, The Moviegoer .
They are abandoned angels, waiting on the will of implacable divine forces, tending in limited ways to humanity – so, basically, it’s Wings of Desire with more punching.
Los “Eternals” son, en esencia, los ángeles de Wim Wenders en Wings of Desire , y en esta analogía, la “Sersi” de Chan es simétrica al “Damiel” del gran Bruno Ganz, observando a la humanidad desde la distancia, deseosa de pertenecer ella, pero incapaz de serlo.
Not counting Lee’s outlier effort, the best of these seemingly odd combinations of filmmaker and material—I would submit Waititi’s “Thor: Ragnarok” and Coogler’s “Black Panther”—were due to the fact that the directors in question were able to negotiate the tricky balance between satisfying Marvel’s requirements for a product that would fit comfortably within their rigid parameters while at the same time retaining the kind of personal touch that presumably got their work noticed in the first place.
There was no big selling-out hoo-ha when Ryan Coogler, who made his name with the powerful indie “Fruitvale Station,” graduated to “Creed” and “Black Panther.”
Ryan Coogler’s artistic hand was unambiguously strong in “Black Panther,” as was Peyton Reed’s in the first “Ant-Man.”
Just like you can argue that Black Panther very much belongs to Ryan Coogler, I would argue that Eternals very much belongs to Chloé Zhao.
Michael Keaton's turn in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" or Michael B. Jordan's performance in "Black Panther" are equal to anything else they have done.