T here’s an inherent farce to the U.S. government, or so Hailey Gates suggests in her debut feature film, Atropia. Based on her 2019 short film Shako Mako, Gates expands her exp

Set in a fake town, Hailey Gates’ feature debut 'Atropia,' premiering at Sundance, has fun, insightful ideas, though it seldom expands on them.

Hailey Gates turned her Miu Miu "Women's Tales" short film into a Sundance feature, starring Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner.

Atropia': How Callum Turner & Alia Shawkat Found A Soul Connection In Hailey Gates' War Satire - Sundance Studio

Sundance: Directed by "Challengers" actress Hailey Gates, "Atropia" gives the War on Terror it's own take on "The Truman Show."

An aspiring actress in an army role-playing facility falls in love with a soldier in Hailey Gates' feature debut, which also stars Callum Turner and Chloë Sevigny.

It isn’t the greatest satire ever made, but Gates’ feature is like a one-stop shop for mockery and education with some fun in between.

Like many of the independent films that premiered at this muted edition of Sundance, “Atropia” has not yet sold to a distributor.

Callum Turner desperately wants to be bleeped, and Alia Shawkat's mother feared she couldn't act. Hailey Gates' new film pops.

In writer-director Hailey Gates’ directorial debut, she dives into the Bush-era culture of toxic masculinity, nationalism and Islamaphobia with an amusing and profoundly absurdist sense of satire. Set in 2006,

“Atropia” is a masterfully dark satire because of how loud its subtleties are whilst remaining laugh-out-loud hilarious. With its stunning direction and acting, this relevant and innovative venture is sure to make its mark within the wider canon of American war films.

Atropia (2025) is a different kind of military movie using comedy and irony to highlight the evils of war and the ridiculousness of being an actor. The post SUNDANCE: ‘Atropia’ Can’t Marry Comedy With Irony appeared first on But Why Tho?