This Dystopia With Lynch & Burton Vibes Is a Secret Masterpiece Every Sci-Fi Fan Needs to Watch

Every so often, a film comes along that challenges our perception of what cinema can be. This one is that rare treasure that true film enthusiasts will appreciate, especially those who have developed a taste for David Lynch's storytelling and visual style.

Released in 2007, this Argentine masterpiece has remained criminally overlooked in mainstream circles.

While Lynch gave us the bizarre town of Twin Peaks and the nightmarish streets of Mulholland Drive, director and writer Esteban Sapir takes us straight to a city shrouded in silence, where communication happens without spoken words.

The Haunting World La Antena (2007): A City Silenced

Set in a dystopian city where the population has been robbed of their voices, La Antena presents a world controlled by the sinister Mr. TV, a megalomaniac who has literal ownership of speech itself.

Like the best of Lynch's work, La Antena creates an experience that's as unsettling as it is unforgettable.

But beyond Lynch references, Kat Brown (Empire) saw hints of Fritz Lang's works and also added:

“Sapir has the same comic lightness of touch and imaginative brilliance as Tim Burton, with Leo Sujatovich's superb score underlining every moment perfectly.”

And to be honest, we totally get what Brown is saying. Sapir manages to blend dark themes with this weird playfulness that honestly reminds us of the best Burton films.

What makes this movie different is how Sapir takes these influences but still creates something that feels fresh. You definitely can see the Lynch and Burton DNA, but La Antena is absolutely its own thing. That's pretty rare in cinema these days when everything feels like a copy of a copy.

The film's commentary on media consumption and the power of communication feels increasingly relevant in our hyper-connected yet somehow disconnected modern society. And its 2007 message feels more relevant now than ever before.

So if you've ever found yourself mesmerized by the works of Lynch, Burton or Lang, La Antena deserves a spot in your watchlist. Just don't expect to walk away with all the answers, because like the best surrealist cinema, this film raises more questions than it answers. And isn’t it the best part?

You can watch La Antena now on MUBI.