You only live once, or so we thought. This phrase isn’t true for Estelle and Leo, who meet in the afterlife. For Leo, this is his first memory of experiencing the afterlife, but Estelle remembers they have been here together before. They rediscover their togetherness and utilise some of the eccentricities that the afterlife has to offer. This includes living as many different lives as you want until you die again and return to the afterlife.
There are two distinct strands to the film: the “lives” lived and the afterlife. While the lives are characterised by adventure, thrill and constant change, the afterlife is more fluid, less urgent. Leo and Estelle fill the space with dancing, and, as a direct result of this, joy. Their movements are made even more ethereal by the strange costumes and masks (credit to Micah Ebben and Mario Jose Olvera). Director Thomas Wingerd manages to create a place that exists outside of space and time while also being comfortingly familiar. The afterlife feels fun and vibrant, which is captured by some impressively creative cinematography. Rico Changeux and Serina Ojala are simply mesmerising on screen as they tell a story of love through dance. Their movements are beautifully captured by cinematographer Jesse Rarick.
As Leo and Estelle explore other lives, more vibrant and unique storytelling unfolds. From MMA fighters and astronauts to a whale and a pirate. They live and die lives vastly different from the one before. This allows a great depth of imaginative filmmaking to emerge, especially in terms of costume and scenery. The different lives that Leo and Estelle live out are portrayed by different actors each time, showing a wealth of talent across the cast.
The true high point of the film is certainly the dancing from Rico Changeux and Serina Ojala as it is a pleasure and joy to watch their craft on screen. While the voiceovers provided for the Leo and Estelle by different actors are a little wooden, the fluidity of the physical performance more than makes up for this. With great ingenuity, the filmmakers have created a whole other plane of existence for humanity. Modern Arcana is an inventive and unique representation of the idea that love always finds its way back, transcending space and time.
Watch the film on Tubi if you’re in the US! See the trailer below…