Slamdance Film Festival 2022: WE ARE LIVING THINGS: Less Sci-fi, More Heart

One of the things that are compelling about We Are Living Things is the way that it has the connectedness of this science-fiction-like story between our two leads, but the heart, the substance of the film is what sticks. Director Antonio Tibaldi uses this science-fiction element as a base and explores it through intriguing metaphors, but ultimately the character’s stories and their shared views are what sold me.

These two outcasts, both immigrants in the US, share a unique bond, even if it’s brought together in both a fateful, and violent way. They each believe that there is something else out there.

Solomon (Jorge Antonio Guerrero) spends his time collecting extraterrestrial artifacts and recording sounds from space. Chuyao (Xingchen Lyu) spends her days working at a nail salon, but also goes out with Tiger (Zao Wang), her pimp at night, to increasingly dangerous degrees. He even injects a tracking device into her neck, and you feel her desire for escape as much as her complacency of circumstance.

One day Solomon serendipitously sees Chuyao and immediately feels drawn to her. Then when he is called to fix a leak in her bathroom, it doesn’t seem random. He notices some of her affinities for unique items and feels he knows her. This leads Solomon on a quest to follow her, leave her notes, and look out for her. Her situation is perilous, as we eventually see, but it isn’t until he kidnaps her and shows her, that she fully realizes it.

Both seem deeply unhappy in their situations, yearning for more, but unhurried in their approach to change, each with scars from their pasts. Solomon believes his mother was abducted and Chuyao has her own abduction story, one that made her leave China and disconnect from her family. When their lives do intersect, it seems inevitable. The crutch of their connectivity is never fully explained or confirmed, but it doesn’t take away from the effect of their meeting, and the subsequent road trip to find answers, as they venture to where Solomon’s mom was taken.

“You’re the only living thing I’ve ever felt connected to.”

It’s ambivalent in some of its actions, especially its end, but it is a decision I’m okay with. The final shot is breathtaking, even if it isn’t fully determined. It has me wondering about these two, intrigued by their precarious futures. Some of the context I’m being purposely oblique about because I feel like this is a story that should feel lived-in as it unwinds, and some specifics aren’t necessary for this review. Written by Àlex Lora and Antonio Tibaldi, the script isn’t filled with explanations, but there’s enough wonder and curiosity sparked, and our characters really bring that to life. 

The conceit of being an outsider, both in the immigrant sense and extraterrestrial, is prominent. That correlation makes for some interesting storytelling choices, and something I loved about the film was just that, but also the ease in which it was presented: sometimes you just feel like something is missing, a loneliness that is hard to quantify.

The film works its way through the story with a precision-like pace that never feels sluggish. Some of the quiet moments between our two leads are mesmerizing, such as soft instances like when she finds him sneaking off in the night, but then brings him to bed and just holds him, pleading for him to not go. There’s a language barrier between them, but something stronger permeates, and they see one another.

There is one scene that unnerved me, mostly because both of the leads are so sympathetic, but also because, in these situations, women are especially taken advantage of. It was hard to watch, as was Chuyao‘s reaction as she came to understand. Some of the shots in this film are truly stunning, and they match the languid storytelling aptly. 

When he takes her out of her situation, she has a sense of confidence that she lacked previously. There’s a scene where she dresses in a space outfit that he owns, and she dons it more than once. It’s like we are able to finally see her exhale, and feel welcomed. Xingchen Lyu is such a standout here, capturing so much in just her eyes, expressing her withdrawal as much as her curiosity for the things others dismiss.

Conclusion: We Are Living Things

Quietly lovely, it is immersive primarily because of our lead performances. We are Living Things crafts something beautiful, even when it’s hard to adjust to. Not everyone will be on its wavelength, but I’m a sucker for the connections that are unexpected or odd, and this is just that. I was captivated.

We Are Living Things premiered at Slamdance Film Festival 2022

Watch We Are Living Things