Enter the Void

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, Enter the Void is available in Australia on MUBI, and in the US on Philo and AMC Plus Apple TV Channel right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 2,010 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Paz de la Huerta — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. Put it on tonight on MUBI and see for yourself.

Enter the Void is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. What makes Enter the Void work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. This psychedelic tour of life after death is seen entirely from the point of view of Oscar, a young American drug dealer and addict living in Tokyo with his prostitute sister, Linda. When Oscar is killed by police during a bust gone bad, his spirit journeys from the past -- where he sees his parents before their deaths -- to the present -- where he witnesses his own autopsy -- and then to the future, where he looks out for his sister from beyond the grave. Paz de la Huerta and Nathaniel Brown lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2010. The rules of Enter the Void's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Enter the Void fits the bill. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Paz de la Huerta's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.