Avalon is an otherworldly, surreal sci-fi movie with stunning visuals and a haunting, moving soundtrack, directed by Mamoru Oshii. The movie’s main character is Ash, who was once member of a very successful team but something happened and she continued to work alone. She, like many others, plays war games in an illegal and dangerous virtual reality called Avalon.

The pacing is rather slow and relaxed, and even though there’s also lots of explosions, they seem surreal like everything else in this movie. The atmosphere is slightly depressing, yet very engrossing, in part due to the incredible score by Kenji Kawaii. Even if you happen to not like the movie as a whole, it’s worth watching at least once just for the music.

Here’s a short teaser that gives some quick impressions.

Avalon – Teaser

I recommend watching Avalon in its original language, Polish, because the unfamiliar speech helps transport you into Ash’s reality, just like the music and subdued visuals do.

Links:
Avalon on IMDb.
Review on CyberpunkReview.com, including some images from the movie.