Here (2024) Film Review: Journey Through Time

Robert Zemeckis’s Here explores time, memory, and the hidden histories within a single home, blending innovative visuals with contemplative storytelling.

Opening with images of the house’s location over millennia, Here begins in prehistoric times when dinosaurs roamed, only to skip forward in jarring leaps – past ancient Indigenous lives, Benjamin Franklin’s family, and through shifting eras of American life. By the early 20th Century, the first permanent residents, John and Pauline Harter (Gwilym Lee and Michelle Dockery), arrive in 1907, shaping the house’s earliest memories as they navigate John’s reckless passion for flight. In the 1940s, the Young family purchases the house, marking a turning point in its story. Al Young (Paul Bettany, of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), a World War II veteran haunted by his experiences, marries Rose (Kelly Reilly), whose quiet resilience sustains their family, including their son Richard.

At the heart of this tale are Richard (Tom Hanks, of A Man Called Otto) and his wife, Margaret (Robin Wright, of Land), whose lives intertwine with the space in ways both ordinary and profound. Their story, set against countless others, becomes one piece of a larger mosaic that captures the unspoken stories and enduring memories left behind by generations.

Here is ambitious in both concept and execution. Zemeckis attempts to bring the source material’s unique style to life by blending past, present, and future scenes in ways that often mimic comic panels, with scenes layered like snapshots in time. At times, the editing shines; smooth transitions, coupled with some clever split-screen effects, add a comic-book feel that aligns beautifully with the story’s origins. However, the film’s ambitious attempts to cut between eras sometimes lead to jarring shifts, such as an argument between Richard and Margaret that abruptly jumps to a distant past scene. This technique, while inventive, doesn’t always serve the story’s emotional flow and occasionally distracts from the narrative.

This movie brings Tom Hanks and Robin Wright back together, which is sure to delight fans of Forrest Gump. However, even with their reunion, the performances don’t quite live up to the high expectations you might have for such legendary actors. Hanks and Wright give solid, if a bit understated, portrayals of Richard and Margaret, but neither really takes center stage. The supporting cast, including Bettany and Reilly, adds to the film’s generational richness, but no single performance really stands out.

Visually, however, this film is captivating. The de-aging effects on Tom Hanks are very impressive, though they occasionally veer into uncanny territory, For example, there are certain shots where Robin Wright looks a bit off, which leaves some room for improvement. The single-location setting, which is a very bold choice that could have felt repetitive, mostly succeeds thanks to Alan Silvestri’s beautiful score and Zemeckis’s direction, which balances nostalgia with subtle hints of mystery about the lives that came before. Early on, the setting’s static nature may feel limiting, but as the film progresses, the house’s significance deepens, making it feel like a character with memories of its own.

One of the film’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to inspire reflection on the lives that fill the spaces we inhabit. Here lingers on questions of legacy: What secrets do our homes hold? What histories are locked in each room? The film resonates most in moments that evoke these quiet mysteries, drawing the audience into a contemplation of the lives, small and grand, that shaped the house over the years.

Ultimately, Here is a visually rich and thoughtfully crafted film that dares to blend experimental editing with heartfelt storytelling. While its execution may falter at times, its core of memories, time, and place remains touching, giving viewers a journey about the meaning of home and the stories that endure within its walls.

Here had its World Premiere at AFI Fest on October 25, 2024. The film will be released in US theaters on November 1, 2024 and in UK & Irish theaters on January 17, 2025.