Reddit Names This $2M Swedish Hidden Gem One of the Best Sci-Fi Horrors Ever Made
An adaptation of a cult poem that surprises not with special effects, but with a devastating atmosphere and masterfully written drama.
Sci-fi horror films are a rare phenomenon. Can you name at least five movies in this genre besides Alien, The Thing and Event Horizon? That's why every release of a film in this genre is an event in itself.
Aniara Is a True Hidden Gem of the Genre
But even in sci-fi horror you can find hidden gems – and one of them is the Swedish Aniara, which those few who have seen it call one of the best representatives of the genre. Reddit user RTK4740 wrote:
“It remains one of my top ten sci-fi movies of all time for me. All of that movie is dark and mysterious in big and small ways. Really pours into every nook and cranny of who we are as humanity.”
And here's why you should definitely check out this quiet and low-budget but impressive Swedish flick.
What Is Aniara About?
The distant future, after global glaciation and nuclear war. The spaceship Aniara leaves Earth, heading for a colonized Mars. The passengers are spoiled by consumption, as the ship has everything a modern man needs – huge shopping malls.
Everything changes when Aniara changes course due to its approach to an asteroid, with no way to return, and sets off on an irreversible journey into the depths of space.
The Movie Is Based on One of the Most Influential Swedish Sci-Fi Works
Aniara is based on one of the most influential Swedish works of the same name by Harry Martinson. Aniara is a philosophical poem in which Martinson poured out all the worries that had accumulated in his mind.
The future society, enclosed in the steel box of the space shuttle, was an example of how humanity is reducing itself to a social and physical abyss in the here and now.
With its assured style, unexpected revelations, and profound morality, 1956's Aniara became an event that was still being talked about years after its publication.
Aniara Is Not Only a Sci-Fi Horror, but Also a Masterfully Written Social Drama
Unlike the rather simple Passengers, Pandorum and other movies that tell about the dangers of interplanetary travel, Aniara goes much further into the territory of philosophical and social issues.
The creators of the movie fully adopted the ideas of Harry Martinson and built a very disturbing, dramatic story where any person can suddenly change before your eyes and become a dictator or a murderer.
Thus, Aniara is not only a sci-fi horror, but also a strong social drama that examines humanity and its vices in the miniature of a spaceship.
Where to Watch Aniara?
Aniara is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
