Joey Magidson
Satire is hard. Especially when based on a true story, you need to mock while also reminding folks that this is real. Atropia, despite having one of the more interesting premises of any 2025 Sundance Film Festival offering, is not able to achieve that. Initially planned as a documentary, it probably would have been better off that way. Instead, it’s a movie that feels only half formed, unable to move you in any one direction.
Atropia isn’t a bad film, overall, but it is a frustrating and disappointing one. Frankly, it feels like it was made right at the beginning of the Iraq War, when there were no shortage of projects that, in one way or another, kept missing the mark. This is structurally and tonally different, to be fair, but it’s just as unformed and ineffective, with no hope of affecting any actual change.
The film takes place in Atropia, a fake country that the United States military has created for immersive training. The military base turned fake war zone is meant to simulate what soldiers would deal with in Iraq, with everyone essentially directed by military executives (Tim Heidecker and Chloë Sevigny) in the safety of a boardroom. Now, this all requires Iraqi insurgents, which are played by actors, including Fayruz (Alia Shawkat). She sees herself as the star of the show, taking pride in her work, while also being convinced that this is but a mere stepping stone to a Hollywood acting career. She’s not the only one hoping to make Atropia a launching pad, but no one is taking the steps that she is in order to be sure no one can ignore her.
When Fayruz meets and falls for Abu Dice (Callum Turner), an experienced soldier playing an insurgent, their romance becomes pretty messy. Suddenly, everyone’s ambitions are threatened, while the whole point of Atropia is questioned. With the Iraq surge on the horizon, stakes are high, both for the military, as well as for Fayruz.
Alia Shawkat is solid in the central role, thinly written as it is. It’s nice to see her in a leading role, at least, and she gives it her all. Tim Heidecker and Chloë Sevigny are wasted, though they fit they’re parts well. Callum Turning doesn’t leave much of an impression, either, which again, might be due to the script more so than anything else. Supporting players here include an eclectic group such as Chloe East, Jane Levy, and even Channing Tatum. By and large, they’re overqualified.
Filmmaker Hailey Gates was right to think that Atropia in and of itself was worth exploring. It just really feels like a documentary, or even a drama, was the way to go. A satirical comedy just needs more going on than this possesses. Atropia ropes you in during its opening sequence, which is smoothly directed. However, the writing just falls off a cliff after that, which Gates can never quite account for. You stop caring about the characters, while the base itself is never built upon in any really notable way.
Atropia should be better. Now, it’s not terrible, but you can see the better film right before your eyes. An actual plot would help, more pointed satire would be nice, and overall you just need to care more. At best, it’s a curiosity. Unfortunately for this Sundance title, the curiosity factor wears off pretty quickly.
SCORE: ★★1/2
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