Last and First Men 2020 / An eerie and totally original sci-fi prophecy that makes for challenging but unforgettable viewing

Almost more like an audiobook than a traditional movie, the first and unfortunately final film from Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson pairs soothing narration by Tilda Swinton with surreal images of alien structures on a desolate planet for a piece of sci-fi that may very well be un-categorizable. As a “story” ostensibly meant to carry some sort of urgency, Last and First Men isn’t entirely convincing. But as an example of pure imagination that challenges how you think of biological life, it’s totally fascinating. As Swinton details the continuous cycle of death and rebirth that humanity goes through over an impossible span of time, it’s hard not to feel the hope and tragedy of it all—while also making you reconsider how things are in our present day.