Wes Anderson’s films are the very epitome of what’s called Arthouse. From Fantastic Mr. Fox to Isle of Dogs and more, the director has explored various themes in his films. His latest offering, Asteroid City, does that and then some more.
In fact, this film reads like a literary text that’s knee-deep and full of carefully explored themes. It’s wonderfully meta and definitely at least partly inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The film is a visual treat and full of a stacked cast with actors like Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie, Edward Norton, and more.
The movie happens on two levels. One is a stage play regarding the Asteroid City’s Junior Stargazer convention, and the other is a black-and-white TV broadcast about the play’s production. What happens on these two levels informs the audience’s understanding of the film, especially the ending.
Asteroid City’s ending has an alien landing on a famous meteorite crater that causes the military to force everyone into quarantine. This causes Augie Steenbeck and his family to deal with the loss of their matriarch while he explores a potential new romantic connection with Midge. In the end, the film gives few answers. It tells its viewers to go with the flow and embrace the unknown because life’s answers rarely come in neatly packaged explanations.
Decoding the Ending of Asteroid City
The play in the film revolves around Jason Schwartzman’s Augie Steenbeck and his four children- one son and three daughters. They attend the titular desert city’s Junior Stargazers convention and meet various characters during their extended stay.
The film’s main event is an alien that descends on the meteorite crater, which results in the military forcing everyone into quarantine.
The movie is best analyzed through its themes rather than by literally looking at the ending as its own thing. In the end, the alien’s presence is undoubtedly the most exciting part of the film because it adds a dimension of existential crisis to the central family, who are trying to reconcile with the grief brought on by the death of their family’s matriarch.
The idea of humanity and death seems small when the alien’s presence has shattered the cosmos’ boundaries in the attendees’ minds. However, that grief is still present and very real to the Steenbeck family.
The kids whose families misunderstood them as nerds and aliens among their peers because they came to a desert to attend a stargazing convention suddenly find themselves and their interests validated.
The prospect of returning to their everyday lives seems unthinkable to those children as they have bonded with other like-minded people in the safe haven of Asteroid City, which ironically is the one with an alien landing.
The movie doesn’t give steady answers to many of the questions, and that’s a theme in itself. The film tells its viewers to embrace the unknown. In the end, there’s a conversation between Augie and his son.
The latter complains that he can’t understand what’s happening in the play. Augie tells him that sometimes it’s more important to keep trudging on rather than understand precisely what’s happening. This is true on two immediate levels. On one level, it hints that the family will have to keep pushing through the grief of their loss to go on with their day-to-day lives.
This is because they won’t ever find the answer to their questions about pain, death, and more in a special little package. On the second level, this corresponds to the presence of the alien. No one is able to find out more about it. It’s an enigma that escapes their grasp- metaphorically and spiritually. The only thing everyone can do is acknowledge its presence and then embrace the unknown about it.
The one ending that might confuse some is regarding the romantic relationship between Augie and Midge. Do they get together in the end? After the quarantine, Midge leaves without even saying goodbye to Augie. But she leaves her mailing address. As such, there’s a possibility that something serious can develop between them in the future.
Overall, Asteroid City, like its meta play and production, aliens and visiting people, is like an enigma. It isn’t concerned with giving answers because Wes Anderson believes that life is a continuously moving production where no one will have the time to sit and ponder about things. The best thing to do is be spontaneous and keep one foot in front of the other.
So what did you think about Asteroid City?
Do you think Wes Anderson should have fleshed out his ending better to offer some concrete answers? Or is the mystery of the unknown more compelling a conclusion?
Let us know in the comments below.
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