Bioengineer Anandi returns to Earth after years in space, only to be quarantined at a remote mountain resort due to exposure to the illvibe virus rapidly spreading across the planet. The resort boasts picturesque scenery and luxurious facilities, but Anadi detects something ominous from the hidden surveillance cameras, a UFO approaching Earth, and the townspeople being taken or killed without explanation. Her guilt and agony intensify when her father’s remains arrive—another victim of the illvibe pandemic. One day, Anadi escapes into the woods and takes refuge with Nita, a resort staff member who had been monitoring her, and Nita’s mom. By connecting with the mother and daughter, who live isolated from the world, Anadi begins to escape her own pain. Spying Stars, the latest from Vimukthi Jayasundara, who brought Sri Lankan cinema to the world, is a sci-fi film set in the near future and a fantasy that paints the world we’ve lost. The director’s signature restrained dialogue and poetic imagery are suddenly interrupted by nerve-wracking sounds, the severing of body parts, and scenes of kidnapping and violence, that heighten tension. At the same time, by interweaving the mysterious ritual of invoking the dead and the recurring image of a turtle’s stroll, the film twists the conventions of the sci-fi genre and invites viewers into a cinematic experience both beautiful and enigmatic.
