“Megalopolis” is one of the strangest, most nonsensical things ever put to film. From beginning to end, the film was an experience like no other.

To start with the very few positives, and I mean very few; the various performances were great especially given how disjointed and awkward the script was. Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito specifically give the stand out performances. Their acting helped to make me think I was watching an actual movie and not just an acid trip vanity project.

The story and presentation are unique for sure, but they are still a complete mess. It is completely incoherent and a lot of the conflicts in the film feel completely random.

The exposition and language of the film also just focused on the wrong information with some scenes telling the audience what could have been easily discerned and at other times it didn’t explain or clear up very important information needed to make the audience care about the conflicts or what the characters go through.

As stated earlier, while the film does have great acting, it also has some of the most nonsensical acting ever put to film with Shia LaBeouf and Aubrey Plaza playing the craziest parts. They still give good performances considering the script, but what they are given is not good at all.

Visually, the movie is also a mess. The film at times looks like an early 2000s music video and at other times it looks like a video game. Very rarely does the film look like how you would expect a film to look which can work, but it just doesn’t work here.

A lot of the visual imagery also tends to hit you over the head with its message when it is already crystal clear what they’re talking about.

The director is Francis Ford Coppola, one of the most famous directors of all time, responsible for classics like “The Godfather” parts 1 and 2, “Apocalypse Now,” and so much more. Despite all of his accomplishments, it is hard to believe that the person who made those films is the same person who made this. This is a vanity project through and through, and it really does feel like one. He spent a lot of his own money on the film to get it made, and it is hard to say it was a good investment.

All in all, this film is not good, but it is fascinating. If you want to watch an almost three hour epic from one of the best directors of all time or you want to watch something so surreal and trippy while under the influence, I can recommend this. If none of that applies to you, stay away from this movie.