Can a single camera angle capture the entire history of human existence?
In short: Robert Zemeckis’s 2024 film Here attempts a bold experiment: telling a nonlinear story from a single, static perspective. By locking the camera on one plot of land from the prehistoric era to the distant future, the film uses generative AI to age its stars across generations of domestic life.
Based on Richard McGuire’s 2014 graphic novel, Here employs a unique formalistic conceit. The screen is frequently subdivided into panes, allowing viewers to witness events from different eras simultaneously. The narrative spans from the age of dinosaurs to a post-human future where the land is reclaimed by a marsh. Between these extremes, the story focuses on the inhabitants of a single house, including the family of William Franklin, the inventor of the La-Z-Boy recliner, and the Young family, who occupy the home for decades.
To achieve the visual effect of characters aging over time, the production utilized Metaphysic Live, a generative AI technology capable of face-swapping and de-aging actors in real time. This technical ambition reunites director Robert Zemeckis with screenwriter Eric Roth and stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, thirty years after their collaboration on Forrest Gump. Despite this pedigree, the film faced significant hurdles; it was initially rejected by studios during the package stage for being considered too risky for broad audiences.
Upon its release in November 2024, the film received generally negative reviews. Critics frequently cited the "stagey" nature of the static camera technique, with some arguing that the reliance on spectacle undermined the emotional resonance of the story. While some reviewers acknowledged the technical interest of the filmmaking, others described it as undramatic or a "blinkered gimmick." The film struggled at the box office, grossing $16 million against its high-concept ambitions, and failed to maintain a spot in the top 10 after its second weekend.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Here (2024 film)
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