I Didn’t See Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania
May 3, 2023
I did not see Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. It is not that I haven’t seen it because I haven’t been big on Marvel lately, or because I’m not a big fan of Antman, or because the trailers looked like CGI vomit with no distinctive style or vision that services its characters. It is because I already know how it will go. Headlines have already claimed it’s “the number one movie in the world,” “the best Antman film,” “the best Marvel movie this year,” and all that may be true, but I would not know. Because I have not seen Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Although I did not see Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania, instead I watched C’mon C’mon. The movie did not really get noticed, which is a shame. This film was produced by A24 (the producers who made Everything Everywhere All At Once). It follows Johnny (Jaoquin Phoenix), who has to take care of his nephew because his mother is dealing with her husband’s mental health struggles. Through this experience, Johnny understands the difficulties of raising another human being, and the importance of human connection. This film was extremely wholesome, and the connection between Johnny and his nephew Jesse was extremely similar to that of a father and son, a connection Jesse lost because his father struggles with mental health. We see Jesse struggle with this both internally and externally. He is a child, he does not understand, and he shouldn’t have to yet. People aren’t simple; our complexity has more variations than the colors on a color wheel. It’s not all black and white, but rather gray. I dig it. I wonder if I would dig Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. But I did not see Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Instead I watched Aftersun. This is a feature directorial debut from Charlotte Wells, which makes me insanely happy. I won’t do you the disservice of a synopsis, just watch the trailer. I love the star, Paul Mescal, too much. He portrays male vulnerability in such a manner that’s so tangible,rare, and uncomfortable. I feel like we have become disillusioned with the crying scene—the “give me an Oscar” scene. It’s a trend in itself. Too often it feels as though we are watching a character, an actor, replicate our perceived notion of genuine sadness. Dehumanizing our anxiety, sanitizing our depression. Mescal doesn’t do that. He picks projects and characters that allow him to let the truth out. We are not taught to be vulnerable, so when we catch a glimpse of struggle, we want to look away. Seeing your father as an icon, as a superhero, but in reality, he’s you and you’re him. You never knew it, and you never shared the sadness of saying farewell. All we have are the memories, bright and grim, lovely and tragic. Like the fractured recordings of an old video camera. The best movies are mirrors, you just have to be brave enough to look into them.
But yeah, man, what did you think about Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Let me know I’m genuinely curious, because I have not seen Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania.
This article also appears in our March 2023 print edition.
