Absurdism Rooted in Reality

Read Time:5 Minute, 26 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Atropia
–

Genre: Satire, Comedy, War
Year Released: 2026
Runtime: 1h 44m
Director(s): Hailey Gates
Writer(s): Hailey Gates
Cast: Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Zahra Alzubaidi, Jane Levy, Tim Heidecker, Lola Kirke, Chloë Sevigny
Where to Watch: coming to select theaters January 23, 2026

RAVING REVIEW: What happens when pretending becomes more honest than reality itself? ATROPIA builds its satire around that discomfort, dropping viewers into a fabricated war zone that feels uncomfortably close to the real thing, not because of chaos, but because of how casually everyone involved treats the performance of violence as routine.

Set inside a real U.S. military training facility designed to simulate foreign conflict zones, ATROPIA doesn’t just offer an exaggerated world for shock value; it lets the inherent absurdity do the work. Actors play civilians, soldiers play insurgents, and everyone follows a script that exists solely to prepare for real bloodshed elsewhere. The film’s best instinct is recognizing that this environment doesn’t need to be heightened; it only needs to be observed long enough for the moral rot to reveal itself.

Alia Shawkat anchors the film with a performance that’s both deeply funny and ultimately unsettling. The performance of an aspiring actress isn’t about chasing fame so much as seeking validation, and ATROPIA treats that desire as neither pathetic nor noble; it’s simply another person being exploited by a system that thrives on emotional labor. Shawkat understands the tone perfectly, leaning into awkwardness without begging for laughs and allowing genuine tenderness to surface without undercutting the satire. It’s a performance built on timing, restraint, and an awareness of how often comedy and discomfort coexist.

Callum Turner provides an effective counterbalance as a soldier assigned to play an insurgent, a detail that becomes increasingly important as the film progresses. Their relationship isn’t framed as some grand romance; it’s awkward, tentative, and rooted in shared confusion more than passion. That choice works in the film’s favor, reinforcing the idea that even intimacy here is another form of rehearsal. The emotion lands not because it's a sweeping feeling, but because it always feels slightly off, as if something genuine is trying to exist inside an artificial container.

Writer/director Hailey Gates demonstrates a strong visual and tonal command for a feature debut. The film’s style allows scenes to breathe, trusting the audience to pick up on the absurdity without constantly pushing it. There’s a dry confidence in how ATROPIA stages its narrative, often letting conversations trail into uncomfortable silences or cutting away before a joke is understood. That restraint is refreshing, especially for a satire tackling material that could easily become smug or overly moralistic.

The film introduces genuinely provocative questions about performance, consent, and the commodification of trauma, but it doesn’t always push them as far as it could. Certain characters feel positioned to represent broader perspectives, yet remain underdeveloped, leaving deeper moments of thought that feel acknowledged rather than examined. It’s not that the film lacks ambition; it’s that its ambition sometimes outpaces its willingness to get messy.

While the film never feels dull, there are stretches where momentum stalls, not because scenes are uninteresting, but because the narrative hesitates to escalate. ATROPIA seems more comfortable circling its ideas than crashing into them. For a satire built around artificial conflict, the lack of sharper confrontation occasionally softens its bite. There could have just been one more step forward that would have made the film feel like it was on the next level.

The film’s humor remains consistently effective, especially in its smaller moments. Tim Heidecker and Jane Levy bring an off-kilter energy that complements the film’s tone without overwhelming it. At the same time, Chloë Sevigny’s presence adds an extra layer of meta-awareness to a story already obsessed with performance. These supporting roles help maintain the film’s strength, even when the larger narrative loses some urgency.

ATROPIA is at its best when it trusts the audience to sit with discomfort rather than hand the audience all the answers. The film understands that the real horror isn’t simulated warfare; it’s how easily everyone adapts to it. By refusing to offer any clear moral victories, Gates underscores the emptiness at the heart of the system she’s examining.

Ultimately, ATROPIA feels like the work of a filmmaker with a distinct voice still sharpening its edge. The ideas are strong, the performances are committed, and the satire lands often enough to justify its ambition. While it doesn’t fully deliver the knockout punch its premise promises, it remains an engaging, thoughtful debut that understands the value of asking the right questions, even when the answers remain deliberately unresolved.

ATROPIA doesn’t always go as hard as it could, but it knows exactly where it’s aiming. That clarity alone makes it worth engaging with, even when it leaves you wanting just a little more. And who knows, maybe there’s a director's cut with that extra punch that will come out someday in the future.

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[photo courtesy of WAYS & MEANS, PARADISE CITY, BIG CREEK PROJECTS, FRENESY FILM COMPANY, VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT]

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