Andrew Haigh’s ‘All Of Us Strangers’ Looks Absolutely Stunning, And Absolutely Gay AF

August 24, 2023
TOMMY

One of the best gay filmmakers of our era is decidedly Andrew Haigh. So when I hear that he has a new film coming out, I'm immediately intrigued. Like a pup hearing that he's a "good boy," my ears immediately perk up. Throw in the fact that said movie will star Andrew Scott (Fleabag) and Academy Award-nominated zaddy Paul Mescal (Aftersun)? Whew. *dabs forehead with color-coded hanky*

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Such is the case with Haigh's upcoming All of Us Strangers. Adam (Scott) and Harry (Mescal) star as neighbors-turned-boyfriends. Adam is a writer who lives a mostly quiet life and while his relationship with Harry unfolds, he begins to find himself thinking about his childhood home. When he goes to the house he grew up in, Adam sees his parents—played by Claire Foy (The Crown) and Jamie Bell (Turn)—still living there. This wouldn't be the strangest of facts if it weren't for one pesky detail: Adam's parents died tragically in an accident when he was little. Even more peculiar... they're the same age they were when they died.

Countless adults have imagined what it would be like to hang out with their parents or grandparents when they were young adults. What would we say? Would we be friends? This dynamic becomes even more heightened for those people who never had the chance to know their parents at all. For Adam, this gives him the chance to do something he never had the opportunity to do: come out as gay to his parents.

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What unfolds promises to be a metaphysical exploration of relationships; specifically Queer relationships, and the relationships Queer people have with their parents. It also looks like the film will ask, "How do our relationships with our parents shape who we are?" and "How does who we fundamentally are influence the adults we grow to become?"

If you're familiar with Haigh's work, then you'll know that sex plays a major role in the stories that he tells. For instance, his breakout film, 2011's Weekend, told the story of two gay men who fall in love after a one-night stand blossoms into much more than they ever planned. The movie will keep that thread strong, but Haigh says his approach to sex will be different than in past works. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Haigh said, "I’ve been more objective in how I’ve shot sex scenes in the past." He added, "Here, I really wanted to feel the subjective nature of having sex and what it feels like—the nervousness and the excitement and the physical sensation of being touched by someone else, and what that does to you."

All Of Us Strangers seems like it's going to be an incredible mix of poignant and steamy. Two hot gay men fuck and fall in love, while one of them has a metaphysical relationship with his dead parents, transcending the limits of time and space. Yeah... I'm decidedly on board. Plus I'll take any chance I can get to watch everyone's favorite "Hot Priest" (IYKYK). The movie hits theaters on December 22, 2023.