A Terry Gilliam film is worth watching even if the premise never quite lands. He was doing "twist" endings ( Brazil (1985) ) well before M Night Shyamalan could drive that car off the cliff, over the shark, and into the ground. The world in 12 Monkeys (1995) practically seethes, a character in its own right. And in The Zero Theorem (2014) we are once again graced with a spectacle nearly as ambitious as the central tenent: What does it all mean? Why are we here?
Much like his previous work, the answers aren't obvious (I think there's some pretty profound stuff here about a father, son, and holy ghost but I'm still trying to piece it together). There some dark, yet subtly funny, commentary about "Internet culture" (which, in the future, is just "culture"). But people just looking for entertainment will find the final third messy and disappointing. I'd encourage those folks to just relax and enjoy the pretty pictures.
See If: You love rich, off-kilter worlds, ever wondered what Monty Python would look like if it developed a William Gibson fetish, or enjoy dystopias without easy answers.
Seen On: Google Play Video
