The most fully realized alternative worlds in cinema history.
Some of the movies that revolutionized visual effects were science fiction, which is largely because they needed to be groundbreaking in order to make their stories believable. After all, it takes a lot for the setting to suspend disbelief. Even realistic movies that take place in the modern day must be approached diligently. Although we all know the rules of our world, visually constructing a believable scenario that keeps someone’s attention can be tricky. Even a notably empty sidewalk in a popular city might raise a question mark in the viewer’s mind, so literally creating an imaginary setting in a believable way is a challenge that requires meticulous detail.
There are some science fiction movies that heavily rely on their strange atmosphere to tell their narrative. And some productions have such faith in their visions that they will use music, set design, a slower pace, fantastic special effects, an unusually poetic visual style, and more to capture a story that is more about sensation than most. The most atmospheric sci-fi movies do an astonishing job of absorbing the viewer into this world, and they do so in service of a captivating narrative that needs to be told as such.
10 ‘Her’ (2013)
Directed by Spike Jonze
Directed by Spike Jonze, Her is atmospheric from the start: the melancholy score playing with the opening logos, followed by the blank screen and the title fading in and out. There is a close-up of divorcé Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) audibly writing a letter to someone who isn’t there, and the camera slowly pans away from him to show other writers doing the same. Just like that, the movie perfectly introduces the ideas of artificial romance and loneliness in a near-future world.
The immersive holographic video games, the earpiece that allows Theodore to send messages with just his voice, the operating system (Scarlett Johansson) whose voice is incredibly human but who doesn’t have a body. Details small and large create a compellingly lonely, semi-futuristic atmosphere. There is even a part when the screen once again goes completely blank for a fairly long time; it’s a move that is very difficult to pull off, but totally works in this mesmerizing work. Her‘s examination of romance with artificial intelligence would go on to influence other films like Ex Machina and Blade Runner2049.
Her (2013)
- Release Date
- December 18, 2013
- Director
- Spike Jonze
- Cast
- Joaquin Phoenix , Amy Adams , Rooney Mara , Olivia Wilde , Scarlett Johansson
- Runtime
- 126 Minutes
9 ‘Ex Machina’ (2014)
Directed by Alex Garland
Using the beautiful forestry outside, the deep red lights from those power cuts, and images like that huge Jackson Pollack painting, Ex Machina takes on a very distinct aura throughout. By combining the seclusion of the wilderness with the surreal technological advancement of creating a cyborg who can think and feel as well as any human, director Alex Garland makes this science fiction story feel like a tale as old as time. The biblical references don’t hurt, either.
Oscar Isaac drew inspiration from his father and Stanley Kubrick for his role as the insanely rich CEO Nathan Bateman, who has sent a programmer to his isolated laboratory (and home) to test whether his new creation indeed thinks and feels as much as a person. It’s a simple concept that takes place over just several days, yet the intensity of the performances, the twists that ensue, and the overall exploration of what it means to be human provide this fascinating film with lots of tension, suspense, horror, and wonder.
Ex Machina
- Release Date
- April 24, 2015
- Director
- Alex Garland
- Cast
- Domhnall Gleeson , Corey Johnson , Oscar Isaac , Alicia Vikander , Sonoya Mizuno , Claire Selby
- Runtime
- 108 minutes
8 ‘Ad Astra’ (2019)
Directed by James Gray
Starring Brad Pitt as an astronaut named Roy who goes on an adventure through the solar system to save humanity from extreme power surges, Ad Astra can basically be thought of as Apocalypse Now in space. It moves more slowly, though, relying mostly on the eeriness of the narrative’s convincingly depicted settings to produce a deep sense of foreboding. It also has space pirates, a space baboon, and other oddities that make this imperfect yet immersive film unlike many others of its genre.
Videos of his father, which Roy watches along the way, make this a study of father-son dynamics as well. This is just as much about this astronaut’s self-exploration as it is about the voyage, which is far from safe. The New York Times aptly wrote that “each step” of the troubled protagonist’s journey “is a reminder that in order to get found, you need to get lost.” Ad Astra is a movie that can only be fully appreciated on the big screen, but the visuals still make it worth watching.
Ad Astra
- Release Date
- September 17, 2019
- Director
- James Gray
- Cast
- Brad Pitt , Kimmy Shields , Ruth Negga , Tommy Lee Jones , Donald Sutherland , Greg Bryk
- Runtime
- 124
7 ‘Blade Runner’ (1982)
Directed by Ridley Scott
The original Blade Runner‘s production was so fraught with issues and tension that its disappointing box office performance and mixed reviews from critics aren’t all that surprising. After re-releases that ditched the original happy ending (which director Ridley Scott disliked) and other elements from the theatrical cut, it became a cult classic that gained such a following that a sequel was released 35 years later. Shot with extremely close attention to detail, the setting’s gritty, retro future LA is key to the film’s mood.
Blade Runner‘s cyberpunk atmosphere is key to its popularity and thematic success. By showing the perspective of human-like cyborgs (replicants), the film explores what it means to be human and what it’s like to be treated as second-class citizens. Harrison Ford makes yet another star turn as Rick Deckard, whose job it is to track down replicants who have gone rogue. This is a dark neo-noir with stylistic flair to spare, and was perhaps the most underappreciated sci-fi movie of the 1980s.
Blade Runner
- Release Date
- June 25, 1982
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Cast
- Harrison Ford , Rutger Hauer , Sean Young , Edward James Olmos , M. Emmet Walsh , Daryl Hannah
- Runtime
- 117 minutes
Rent on Amazon
6 ‘Alien’ (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Alien, the movie that launched Ridley Scott and actor Sigourney Weaver into superstardom, looks as good today as it did in 1979. One of its best moments is when the viewer gets a tour of some of the best wordless exposition ever. The planet where the titular alien comes from, the specimen that bursts out of a guy’s stomach, the robot with extremely realistic flesh—all these details and more help provide Alien with an atmosphere the viewer can both believe in and deeply fear.
As the crew gets picked off by the growing alien one by one, the tension on the ship intensifies. By the climax, the viewer is on the edge of their seat. The nightmare-inducing special effects won it the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, and it would soon expand into an entire franchise. None of the sequels can match the original, though, nor its level of atmospheric intensity.
Alien (1979)
- Release Date
- June 22, 1979
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Cast
- Sigourney Weaver , Tom Skerritt , John Hurt , Veronica Cartwright , Harry Dean Stanton , Ian Holm , Yaphet Kotto
- Runtime
- 117 minutes
5 ‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Pretty much every single room has its own unique, futuristic aesthetic in Blade Runner 2049. At over 2 and a half hours, this film is mostly atmosphere. It’s a sequel took a long time to be released, and director Denis Villeneuve honors that legacy by making every single scene take a really long time to unfold. There is a plot, though. Ryan Gosling plays an advanced replicant called K with a very compelling reason to track down officer Deckard from the original Blade Runner.
Though the film was projected to make a big profit at the box office, it actually lost the studio money. Ridley Scott’s simple (and probably correct) answer to that conundrum is that he would have made the film 30 minutes shorter, which would have been wise on an artistic level as well. Although it goes on for longer than it should, the patient viewer will still find a lot to appreciate here. For one, it boasts an incredibly palpable setting that’s sleeker and bleaker than the original classic. On an atmospheric level, Blade Runner 2049 does its cult-classic predecessor justice.
Blade Runner 2049
- Release Date
- October 6, 2017
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
- Cast
- Ryan Gosling , Ana De Armas , Dave Bautista , Harrison Ford , Robin Wright , Sylvia Hoeks
- Runtime
- 164 minutes
Rent on Amazon
4 ‘Stalker’ (1979)
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
Ever wish The Wizard of Oz were relentlessly morbid, extremely meditative, and spoken entirely in Russian? Look no further than Andrei Tarkovsky‘s Stalker, which begins primarily in black and white but turns primarily to color after three men take a long ride on the train tracks to enter what’s known as the Zone. Many who visit disappear, so the legend goes, but it’s also said that whoever visits a certain part of it has their dreams come true. A man (called a stalker) who regularly takes people to this special room guides a scientist and a writer there.
These characters are often filmed so far from the camera that the viewer feels like a voyeur peering into their miserable lives. In contrast, as on the ride into the Zone, a closeup of their faces is all you see as the background is out of focus. Along with the poetic monologues and imagery, the score is hallucinatory and ominous. Like all of Tarkovsky’s works, Stalker is very philosophical and visually awe-inspiring, exploring the tragic limits of human happiness with a visceral intensity that burrows down to the viewer’s core.
Stalker
- Release Date
- May 25, 1979
- Director
- Andrei Tarkovsky
- Cast
- Alexander Kaidanovsky
- Runtime
- 162 minutes
3 ‘Solaris’ (1972)
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
Andrei Tarkovsky made one of the best arthouse sci-fi movies of all time with the long, ambiguous, and challenging Solaris. Based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem, this tells the story of psychologist Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis), who goes to a space station orbiting a strange planet called Solaris to investigate what’s going wrong. When he gets there, he discovers a scientist on board has died by suicide and the remaining two scientists are having a difficult time holding on to their sanity.
The reason for all this is that Solaris, which looks like an endless ocean, seems to materialize someone’s innermost desire. In Kris Kelvin’s case, it is his deceased ex-wife Hari (Natalya Bondarchuk). As The Washington Post claimed, “[t]hough ‘Solaris’ is one of the late director’s most plot-coherent and accessible films, its plot is still a mere conduit for mood, atmosphere and philosophy.” With beautiful visuals and a disturbing meditation on the nature of memory, grief, and consciousness, Solaris proves to be a science fiction film that’s perfect from start to finish.
Solaris (1972)
- Release Date
- May 13, 1972
- Director
- Andrei Tarkovsky
- Cast
- Donatas Banionis , Natalya Bondarchuk , Jüri Järvet , Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy
- Runtime
- 166 minutes
2 ‘Hard to Be a God’ (2013)
Directed by Alexei German
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data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Man on a horse in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-thumbnail-img\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Leonid Yarmolnik holding a weapon in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-thumbnail-img\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Men stand in a run-down courtyard in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <div id=\"gallery-modal-1-1874606322\" class=\"gallery-lightbox\"\n style=\"display: none\">\n <button class=\"lightbox__exit-btn icon i-close\"><span\n class=\"txt\">Close<\/span><\/button>\n <div class=\"lightbox\">\n <div class=\"lightbox__swipper\" id=\"swipper-1\">\n <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\"\n id=\"gallery-modal-1-slides-container-459484532\">\n <section id=\"main-carousel-expanded-1-1874606322\"\n class=\"splide gallery-thumbnails-expanded\">\n\n <div class=\"splide__track\">\n <ul class=\"splide__list\">\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-main-img\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=425&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=425&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1023&h=600&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1023&h=600&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=500&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=500&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=315&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=315&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Closeups of Leonid Yarmolnik and Natalya Moteva as Don Rumata and Ari, his mistress\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-main-img\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=425&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=425&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1023&h=600&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1023&h=600&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=500&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=500&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=315&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=315&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Man on a horse in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-main-img\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=425&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=425&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1023&h=600&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1023&h=600&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=500&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=500&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=315&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=315&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Leonid Yarmolnik holding a weapon in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-main-img\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=425&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=425&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1023&h=600&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=1023&h=600&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=500&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=767&h=500&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=315&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=315&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Men stand in a run-down courtyard in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n <ul id=\"gallery-thumbnails-expanded\">\n <li class=\"gallery-thumbnail-img-expanded\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Closeups of Leonid Yarmolnik and Natalya Moteva as Don Rumata and Ari, his mistress\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"gallery-thumbnail-img-expanded\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Man on a horse in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li 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data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Leonid Yarmolnik holding a weapon in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"gallery-thumbnail-img-expanded\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=145&h=75&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Men stand in a run-down courtyard in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n "’; window.arrayOfExpandedGalleries[“article-gallery-1-1874606322”] = ‘"\n \n <div class=\"w-gallery-carousel-fullscreen\">\n\n <section id=\"main-expanable-carousel-1-1874606322\" class=\"splide splide-gallery\">\n <button class=\"lightbox__exit-btn close-btn icon i-close\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"txt\">Close<\/span><\/button>\n <div class=\"splide__track lightbox__swipper\">\n <ul class=\"splide__list swiper-wrapper\">\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-main-img image-landscape\">\n <div class=\"body-img responsive-img\">\n <figure>\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Closeups of Leonid Yarmolnik and Natalya Moteva as Don Rumata and Ari, his mistress\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n <figcaption class=body-img-caption>mage via Artisan Entertainment<\/figcaption>\n \n \n\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-main-img image-landscape\">\n <div class=\"body-img responsive-img\">\n <figure>\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Man on a horse in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n <figcaption class=body-img-caption>mage via Artisan Entertainment<\/figcaption>\n \n \n\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-main-img image-landscape\">\n <div class=\"body-img responsive-img\">\n <figure>\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Leonid Yarmolnik holding a weapon in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n <figcaption class=body-img-caption>mage via Artisan Entertainment<\/figcaption>\n \n \n\n <\/li>\n\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-main-img image-landscape\">\n <div class=\"body-img responsive-img\">\n <figure>\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Men stand in a run-down courtyard in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n <figcaption class=body-img-caption>mage via Artisan Entertainment<\/figcaption>\n \n \n\n <\/li>\n\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n <section id=\"expanded-gallery-thumbnails-1-1874606322\"\n class=\"splide gallery-thumbnails-expanded\"\n aria-label=\"The carousel with 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<source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Closeups of Leonid Yarmolnik and Natalya Moteva as Don Rumata and Ari, his mistress\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-thumbnail-img-expanded\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Man on a horse in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god2.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-thumbnail-img-expanded\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Leonid Yarmolnik holding a weapon in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god3.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <li class=\"splide__slide gallery-thumbnail-img-expanded\">\n \n\n\n\n\n <picture>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 481px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n <source\n media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"\n data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n srcset=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=145&h=80&dpr=2\"\n \/>\n <img\n width=\"3000\"\n height=\"1500\"\n loading=\"lazy\"\n decoding=\"async\"\n alt=\"Men stand in a run-down courtyard in Hard to Be a God\"\n data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n src=\"https:\/\/static1.colliderimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/hard-to-be-a-god4.jpg\"\n style=\"display:block;height:auto;max-width:100%;\"\n \/>\n <\/picture>\n \n \n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n <\/div>\n\n "’;
Visionary director Alexei German’s (pronounced with a hard “G”) final film is one of the most disgusting movies you can undoubtedly call a work of art: Hard to Be a God. It’s one of those films that makes the viewer want to take a shower after it’s over, filled to the brim with liquids and gore that are so realistic it almost feels like you’re watching a documentary. Don Rumata (Leonid Yarmulnik) is one of several scientists sent to a planet that resembles Earth in the medieval period, and the camera follows him through his brutal daily life.
He is supposed to study this planet’s entrance into the Renaissance, but such an intellectual movement never seems to be coming any time soon. The literate are killed off, and the total lack of a conventional narrative makes the viewer feel like they’re simply wandering around an endless, meaningless hell of illness and violence. With barely any decipherable dialogue to boot, this movie is almost exclusively atmospheric. Thankfully, that atmosphere is shockingly convincing in every way.
1 ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick released what was essentially the most atmospheric movie of its time when 2001: A Space Odyssey came out in 1968. Very much a work that requires your full attention, this masterpiece was nevertheless embraced by the mass public as a stoner film. It was hard to blame them; the visual effects were (and still are) unparalleled, which was pretty much the only thing that its critics could agree on at the time.
The fact that a film with such mixed reviews still won the Oscar for Best Special Visual Effects demonstrates how convincing every setting (past or future) proves to be. It takes a heck of a movie to make John Lennon watch it “every week” during its theatrical run, and 2001 is definitely one of a kind. It’s more than willing to wordlessly bask in space with classical music playing and shove the viewer through a long, psychedelic adventure to Jupiter. Love it or hate it, Kubrick’s greatest and most atmospheric work would inspire later visionaries such as George Lucas, Paul Thomas Anderson, and countless more.
2001: A Space Odyssey
- Release Date
- April 2, 1968
- Director
- Stanley Kubrick
- Cast
- Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter , Leonard Rossiter , Margaret Tyzack
- Runtime
- 141
This article was originally published on collider.com