Infinite Summer is rife with unique ideas and moments but never brings anything of substance to the table. Filled with ideas that could make you stand up and take notice, it squanders them to be too open for interpretation. Despite this, it is as interesting as it is ambitious and still worth an exploratory watch.
On a summer break in Estonia, Mia (Teele Kaljuvee-O’Brock) and her friends Sarah (Joanna Gross) and Grere (Johanna Rosin) try a meditation app that’s somehow related to the operating system of the Tallinn Zoo, changing the body chemistry of its users into something between pollen and cosmic dust. Mia will need to choose between saving her friends or joining them.
Miguel Llansó feeds into all young adults’ fears when they begin their journey into adulthood. Finding out who you are and what you want to do is never easy, and in a world of peer pressure, anxiety can rise and take hold in the strangest of ways. That final summer before being a “grown-up” always flies by too fast, and for Mia, it is going at lightspeed, with everyone around her more than ready to dump their childhood years to the side for the new and exciting possibilities of adulthood.
That is where Mia has found herself, stuck in the in-between of adolescence and adulthood. She watches her friends jump in feet first while she deliberates on her next move. Too unsure of what to do next, and with no one to guide her, she is firmly planted in no man’s land. When Infinite Summer focuses on this topic and adds splashes of transhumanism in this near-future world, then it’s a fascinating science fiction watch.
Teele Kaljuvee-O’Brock, despite being the central character, does well with what she is given and garners considerable sympathy as Mia. However, she is sometimes just slightly too placid about the events around her. Yet, when she is onscreen, you are drawn to her. She has that appeal that you want to see what her character is thinking, what they are wanting to do next in the moments she encounters. This is a trait a lot of the cast have; they have a slight magnetic appeal to them, so when things go wrong (or right, depending on how you interpret the film), you stress for them.
Where Infinite Summer struggles more than you would expect after the strong opening act is that it loses its way a touch; moments pass by without much connectedness, but there is apparent meaning deeply embedded within, which has you honestly scratching your head. You could say these moments are like that aforementioned idea of how fast the summer, and time in general, goes by. Now, for some, these open-to-interpretation moments will be delightful, allowing the audience to guide themselves and refrain from being too explanatory.
For the rest, they will be frustrated at not being guided by Llansó just an ounce more so they can see his true vision. By being so open to interpretation, Infinite Summer feels like a film that makes the point to question whether the planet would be better without us and then skews that into allowing humans to have a peaceful passing onto the next realm. It feels, at worst, empty and abstract for its own good.
That is the main element that frustrates the most about Infinite Summer; there is a good film here. Certainly, great ideas are being floated around that you notice, and the performances are good, with a good mix of drama and comedy poured into the proceedings to enjoy. The struggle of trying to be too smart for its own good is one that you just can’t shake. It is a film that comes up with all of these ideas of transhumanism and enlightenment and then promptly takes it nowhere.
What saves the film is the overall performances and the astounding uniqueness of the story. Combine those with the great visuals of our characters using Eleusis and where that leads, and it’s fascinating and compels you. The first act and a bit of Infinite Summer have you; it’s just a shame the film doesn’t take advantage of its killer idea to be something more substantive.
While full of ambitiousness, Miguel Llansó’s Infinite Summer doesn’t quite hit all the notes you want it to. Part of this is that there are simply too many narrative balls being tossed up into the air. He purposely leaves a lot of answers up in the sky, never to land in time. One thing for sure is that you are going to have a conversation with whoever you watched it with once the credits begin to roll. In the end, this is the sign of an interesting film, which is never a bad thing to watch.
★★★
For more of our coverage of Fantasia Festival 2024 please check out our reviews below:
Hell is a Teenage Girl (Short)
HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot
Kizumonogatari – Koyomi Vamp –
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