Here sets out to capture the passage of time and the moments that shape us, keeping its camera fixed on a single room across eons—from the age of dinosaurs to the COVID pandemic. Through this setting, it aims to explore love, loss, and memory, yet the film struggles to find a cohesive voice. What the title Here suggests—a close, intimate journey—ends up feeling ironically more like Very Far Away.
Director Robert Zemeckis, famous for his emotional storytelling and technical innovation, brings back his Forrest Gump team—screenwriter Eric Roth, along with stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright—hinting at a return to his roots. This reunion promises the kind of human-centered storytelling seen in both Forrest Gump and Cast Away, yet, for all its potential, the film ultimately struggles to capture that same emotional resonance.
Roth’s script, reminiscent of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, aims to explore many themes but only scratches the surface, lacking the meditative depth seen in the similar The Tree of Life. Themes like risk-aversion, regret, family, and memory are introduced only to be abandoned, creating a scattered narrative. Just when one theme seems poised to go deeper, it pivots, adding yet more layers without fully exploring any. This creates a scattered, disjointed narrative that never quite finds its rhythm.
While the fixed-camera approach is intriguing, it creates an emotional distance from the characters. We’re often too far away to fully engage, particularly in Paul Bettany’s scenes. Time jumps happen so frequently that they start to feel excessive, and two outdated physical humor involving people falling disrupts the tone.
Technically, the film shows some creativity, especially in its transitions and the use of its de-aging technology, which, despite its imperfections, feels like another commendable experiment until the effect becomes seamless. Alan Silvestri’s score is the film’s highlight, drawing on the nostalgia of Forrest Gump and adds an emotional layer, especially in the film’s opening and closing minutes. Yet, despite all this effort, Here fails to connect emotionally or explore its ambitious themes satisfyingly. The result is a film that, while visually intriguing, ultimately feels like another missed opportunity. Audiences are left yearning for the heartfelt storytelling that once defined Robert Zemeckis’s best work, reminding us of a director who, in his prime, blended innovation with deep human connection.