The World to Come

A portrait of two loveless marriages with two absolutely stone-cold men.

It is a film to remember for its passion - for its belief that those tiny snatches of pleasure are worth holding onto, even if the rest of the world might never believe them even possible.

There's a satisfying literary intelligence at work.

The Gothic thrills are both subtle and properly gut-churning.

It celebrates female desire wrestling to be free of its cage.

Makes terrific and tactile use of the landscape - rural Romania plays the eastern United States here - with brutal winters, springtime clotheslines, and clandestine woodland encounters.

Whether it is the wonderful leading performances or the sensational score, there is something here for everyone to grasp onto and appreciate.

The script, though weak at times, offers interesting conversations on grief, life on the mid 19th century American frontier, the treatment of women and finding solace through matched experiences.

Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby try to keep the narrative afloat with two remarkable performances, but they can’t compensate for the unsurprising, underwhelming storytelling.

The World To Come doesnt exactly stand out from the many films that it resembles, but it does manage to tell an engaging story. Its another showcase for the rising reputation of both stars, and hits the right notes without ever becoming sluggish.