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I love animation. I know that's a pretty broad statement but just learning about different types of animations styles is yet another hobby of mine. So when I saw this movie trailer for Metropia, I was floored.

The animation used for Metropia was something very similar to the rotoscoping process in A Scanner Darkly, where real life pictures and actors are used. However as you'll see from the movie teaser, this film creates its own style by blending that technique with an almost disproportionate anime style that results in an eerily disconcerting yet stunning animation.

The dreary, bleak feel fits well with the dystopian story that co-writer and director Tarik Saleh created. The tale takes us to Europe in 2024 where the world is running out of oil, and a giant underground transit network has been created. Roger, (Vincent Gallo) is a boring call-center operator who avoids the underground network because he finds it unsettling. Sometimes he even hears a voice in his head when he gets too close. One day after meeting a supermodel (Juliette Lewis) he stumbles upon the truth that his life is controlled in every way.

This was one of many films shown at Fantastic Fest, and so far the feedback has been pretty positive. Here's what /Films had to say: "...the Swedish film only cost $4.5 million U.S. leading to Twitch Film to declare in a review, “Set in a disturbingly familiar near-future, Tarik Saleh’s METROPIA blends the grey, surreal absurdity of vintage [Franz] Kafka with cutting edge digital animation to create something truly striking and unique. …his technique immediately establishes him as one of the most striking and unique voices in global animation.”

I agree wholeheartedly with that. Watch the trailer, then let me know what you think!