3000 Years of Longing - Movie Review

Australian Director George Miller has proven himself as one of Hollywood’s most innovative, inventive and versatile filmmakers working today. His career has expanded over 4 decades giving us classics such as ‘Mad Max’, ‘Mad Max: The Road Warrior’, ‘Babe’, ‘Happy Feet’ and his masterpiece ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. George Miller returns in 2022 with yet another genre/bending adventure with ‘3000 Years of Longing’. The film stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton and follows a lonely scholar (played by Tilda Swinton) who finds a Djinn (played by Idris Elba) who has offered her 3 wishes in exchange for his freedom. This is the film's premise in the most simplistic of terms, and without spoiling anything, I don’t want to give anything further away about the plot. With a visionary filmmaker like George Miller at the helm and an impressive cast, I was very excited to see what he has created with ‘3000 Years of Longing’. So today, to celebrate the film's release on DVD and Blu-Ray, I will be breaking down three reasons as to why this is one of the best films of 2022. So without further ado, here we go!

There be elves/Djinn’s – The fantasy elements –

Headed into the film, I was unaware of the plot of the film, all I knew was that Miller directed it, it starred Elba and Swinton and it was in the fantasy genre. I was unaware of the strange, yet beautiful direction the narrative was going to go in. The mystical journey that Swinton goes on, was a treat both visually, but also spiritually and emotionally. I found her character arc and journey immensely satisfying. You can really see her growth by the end of the film, leaving the audience feeling happy and satisfied, with a big smile on their face. 

Style & Substance living in harmony – A visual spectacle –

George Miller has expressed a distinct visual style across his entire filmography. From ‘Mad Max’ to ‘Happy Feet’, Miller is a visionary filmmaker that uses the full force of visual storytelling, pushing the boundaries in terms of technology, effects and how to meld these into a compelling narrative. ‘3000 Years of Longing’ is the perfect blend of both style and substance. Miller blends the fantastical elements of the story, with real character drama, creating a thought-provoking and visually stunning spectacle that is a notch above other fantasy films out there.

The great ones – The performances –

Two of the biggest actors on the planet right now are Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba. Both have spent decades building impressive resumes, dabbling in both small scale drama and huge Hollywood blockbusters. Elba’s recent output has included mega hits ‘Hobbs & Shaw’, ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Beast’, with Swinton also appearing in films such as ‘Doctor Strange’, the remake of ‘Suspiria’ and ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’. The two of them on-screen together in a George Miller film is a dream come true. They have amazing chemistry with one another, creating an unlikely on-screen pair, but one that will be remembered.

‘3000 Years of Longing’ is one of the more thought-provoking and visually interesting films of 2022. The performances by its two leads are fantastic, with both Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba showcasing their amazing chemistry with one another. George Miller has still got it! It is awesome to see him still making films after all these years! ‘3000 Years of Longing’ is available on DVD and Blu-ray November 30. Be sure to head on over to your local Sanity or online, to secure your copy today, you won’t want to miss this one. 

Buy 3000 Years of Longing here

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here