Apples is a 2020 internationally co-produced drama film directed and produced by Christos Nikou in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Nikou and Stavros Raptis. The film stars Aris Servetalis, Sofia Georgovassili, Aggeliki Papoulia, Spyros Pavlakis, Jakob Cedergren, and Reni Pittaki. It follows a man who, after waking up with no memory of his past, enrolls in a support group for people with amnesia. As he begins to remember things about his life, he starts to wonder if he really wants to know the truth about what happened to him. Apples was shot in Athens, Greece over the course of 21 days in October 2019. It premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. Upon its release, the film received positive reviews from critics. Many praised Nikou’s direction and the performances of the cast members. Overall, Apples is a well-crafted film that deals with some heavy topics in an interesting and thought-provoking way. The Guardian described the film as “splendidly poignant and creepy” while Variety describes it as: “Overcast, underpopulated and squeezed into a subconsciously oppressive 4:3 frame, the movie isn’t meant to be realistic. Rather, it tickles the imagination, inviting us to consider the prospect of being given a new beginning, and whether starting from scratch would be such a terrible thing.” If you liked the film Apples, there are five more movies to watch that will also elicit similar emotions and center on themes of memories and human connection.
Embers
The 2015 American independent science fiction film Embers has a similar premise to Apples about a worldwide pandemic that causes amnesia. The movie, Embers, is set in a world where people have lost their memories due to a global neurological epidemic. The story follows a small group of individuals as they attempt to piece together their pasts and find a way to move on with their lives. Though the film has been criticized for its slow pacing and lack of action, it ultimately remains a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of memory, identity, and human connection. Those who are patient with the film’s slower moments will be rewarded with a rich and challenging experience that is sure to stay with them long after the credits have rolled. The film was directed by Claire Carré as her feature debut and written and produced by Claire Carré and Charles Spano. It stars Jason Ritter, Iva Gocheva, Greta Fernández, Tucker Smallwood, Karl Glusman, and Silvan Friedman. In a review published by Variety, they gave particular praise to director Claire Carré and wrote, “Her multi-pronged approach yields insight into how memory works in personal relationships and in society at large, and the consequences of being “present” without a past. And working with production designer Chelsea Oliver and cinematographer Todd Antonio Somodevilla, Carre turns the condemned buildings of working-class Indiana into eerie alien terrain, populated by sad, bleary scavengers.”
Oxygen
Oxygen is a 2021 French-language science fiction thriller film that follows the story of a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic chamber with no memories of who she is or how she got there. As she starts to run out of oxygen, she must race against the clock to figure out her identity and escape the chamber before it’s too late. Oxygen is a suspenseful and thrilling film that will keep audiences guessing until the very end. The film was directed and produced by Alexandre Aja, from a screenplay by Christie LeBlanc, and stars Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, and Malik Zidi. New York Times praised the film’s thrill value in their review and wrote, “‘Oxygen’ is the rare genre film that is tight enough to actually succeed on streaming. It will make you put your phone on the other side of the living room for a little while longer — or at least make you grateful you have a whole room to cross.”
Advantageous
Advantageous is a 2015 American science fiction drama film directed by Jennifer Phang and written by Jacqueline Kim and Jennifer Phang. The film stars Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, and Samantha Kim. The film is set in the future where economic inequality has created a class of genetically enhanced humans who are used by the wealthy to gain an advantage. When the main character’s daughter is offered a place in the program, she must weigh the benefits against the cost of her own humanity. Advantageous explores the issues of class, gender, and technology in a future that feels both familiar and strange. The film was nominated for multiple awards and won the Special Jury Prize at the 2015 VC FilmFest – Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. The Hollywood Reporter published a review of the film praising the film’s representation of women in fiction saying, “For viewers to whom the Bechdel Test matters, Advantageous certainly passes with flying colors. Indeed, it seems perfectly designed to appeal to a very specific niche audience of geek-minded female viewers with an interest in speculative fiction.”
Silent Night
Silent Night is a 2021 apocalyptic Christmas comedy film written and directed by Camille Griffin. The film stars Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Sope Dirisu, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, and Rufus Jones. The plot follows a group of people who are spending their last Christmas as an environmental apocalypse is about to reach their area. Despite its mixed reviews, Silent Night is a dark and humorous take on the holiday season that is sure to entertain audiences. In a review by The Wrap they wrote, “Still, Griffin juggles her many characters well, and she’s very smart about weaponizing the coziness of Christmas movies to make uncomfortable points.”
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
The 2004 American romantic science-fiction drama film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind shares similar elements with Apples. In an article by Variety about the film Apples, they mentioned the similarity saying, “The approach operates like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” in reverse, and indeed, there are traces of Charlie Kaufman’s influence on Nikou’s understatedly absurdist script.” Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Pierre Bismuth created the story with Kaufman and Gondry and it features an ensemble supporting cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Tom Wilkinson. The plot focuses on an estranged couple who have their memories of each other erased through a medical procedure. Despite its premise, Eternal Sunshine is not primarily a science fiction film; rather, it uses elements of science fiction as a vehicle to explore human emotions such as love, relationships, betrayal, and grief. Kaufman won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on the film and Kate Winslet received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. The Guardian published a review of the film and wrote, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is suffused with Kaufman’s unique charm, his existential drollery, his humane affection for the lonely and vulnerable. It’s a very Kaufmanesque narrative experiment, technically ingenious and sophisticated.”
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