When it comes to pairs of supremely talented actors that it would be extremely exciting to see on screen together, they don’t come much more exciting than the central duo of emotional drama All Of Us Strangers – Fleabag and Sherlock star Andrew Scott, and Normal People and Aftersun breakout Paul Mescal. Scott plays the lead, Adam, a lonely writer trying to come to terms with his parents’ death. He meets Mescal’s Harry, the only other resident in his new apartment block, and they strike up an intense, intimate relationship.
For director Andrew Haigh, whose previous work includes Weekend and 45 Years, Scott and Mescal were the obvious choices to bring the characters to life, despite having only ever met in passing in real life. “It was so clear that they had chemistry early on,” Haigh tells Empire, for our new December 2023 issue. “Paul so wanted to work with Andrew, and Andrew with Paul, that it felt like I was watching a love affair happen. That’s what good casting is. You watch a love affair blossom.” And blossom it does, giving Adam the chance to experience a type of romance he thought he never might.
Alongside Harry and Adam’s growing closeness, All Of Us Strangers sees Adam dig into his childhood, and, in a way, talk to his parents (played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) about things that were left unspoken when they were alive. It’s raw, tough stuff – and, judging by early reactions, will have a huge impact on audiences. “I would meet someone in the street who’d seen the film three days ago and they’d be talking and just start crying,” Haigh recalls. And no matter whether a viewer’s experiences align with Adam’s or not, Haigh is crossing his fingers that they connect to the film regardless. “I hope it’s going to speak to [all sorts of people],” he says. “Because we all want the same things. We want to feel loved. We want people to be compassionate to us. We want to be there for other people.” Hydrate well before this one, folks – there will be tears…
Read Empire’s full All Of Us Strangers story, talking exclusively to director Andrew Haigh, in the new Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom issue, on sale Thursday 26 October – pre-order a copy here. All Of Us Strangers is in cinemas from 26 January 2024.