Aniara is used to take passengers on a three-week journey. The Mimaroben (Emelie Jonsson), known as MR for short, has an extremely important task, helping passengers occupy their time in a room with Mima, a computer which allows them to experience VR-like hallucinations based on their memories. Almost immediately, Aniara is bumped off its course by an accident. Debris damages its nuclear reactors. Captain Chefone (Arvin Kananian) speaks to the passengers, telling them that it can get back on course once it passes a large gravitational field. As MR learns from her roommate, Aniara\u2019s astronomer (Annelli Martini), there\u2019s almost no chance this could actually happen. The cracks in the captain\u2019s military bearing grow thicker. (Initially clean-shaven, he grows a mustache, and from that point, his facial hair gets shaggier and more grey.) Chapter headings leap forward steadily in time. The algae which purify their water and generate their food build up, leading to a gross, if not toxic, contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most striking aspects of Aniara<\/em> is its spare but effective world-building. Some details, like the burn scars on several passengers\u2019 faces, are noticeable but remain unexplained. Bandaged arms imply suicide attempts. The fact that Mima is driven to its own destruction by so many humans\u2019 negative memories shows that these people have suffered violence and are likely living with PTSD. Space is so tight that even a woman as important as the astronomer can\u2019t be given a room to herself. Judging from a few lines of dialogue, the destination of Mars is unlikely to be as promising as passengers expect it to be. It\u2019s described as dark and devoid of plant life. Had the ship made it there, their lives as refugees could wind up as grim as their experiences upon Aniara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the start of Aniara<\/em>, bright blue and orange tones dominate the cinematography. Both of these imply a degree of life. The room where passengers go to escape to their memories has a ferociously orange ceiling, suggesting the sun\u2019s fire. It\u2019s not the same as actually being on Earth, but at least it offers a glimpse. Other parts of the ship use similarly fierce colors. If they\u2019re not always attractive, they burn with an intensity that fades when depression becomes the norm on Aniara. These tones later turn paler and even less natural. Production designer Linn\u00e9a Petersson did incredible work synthesizing real locations with VFX. Nothing was built on a scale that suits individual people: the mall looks as uninviting as a packed airport, while MR and the astronomer\u2019s room is too small for two people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact that parts of Aniara<\/em> were shot in the Sollentuna Centrum mall becomes significant. (You can even watch a video walk-through of the location<\/a>, with its central staircase.) It addresses the futility of trying to escape mortality through consumerism, entertainment, and even religion. Yet it avoids passing judgment on the characters who attempt to do so. Under the circumstances, their desire to pass the time as they were cruising in the ocean, dancing to techno and playing arcade games, is perfectly natural. The orgy which begins their fourth year is presented positively. Their experiences with Mima aren\u2019t an immersion in fiction; rather, they suggest a yearning for healing through connection back to a genuinely happier time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aniara <\/em>works on a cosmic scale, to a degree not evident until its final shot. Its horror is grounded in the universe\u2019s indifference to the comparatively tiny scale of a person\u2019s life. It\u2019s about a community\u2019s failure, but it follows MR\u2019s pathway. (Other characters, like the misanthropic astronomer, tend to be one-note.) Confronted with the vastness of the stars, she has a panic attack. Once reasons for hope diminish, the ship\u2019s hallways seem endless. Aniara<\/em> functions so well as a horror film because it lays out the pain of aging in liminal space, with nothing on the other end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Aniara” is streaming on Hulu<\/a>, Plex<\/a>, Tubi<\/a>, Kanopy<\/a>, and Hoopla<\/a>, and is available for digital rental or purchase.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ANIARA2-1024x576.webp\")
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