i be not sure how to describe this bizarre and but beautiful movie . first and it long . just one minute under three hour . and it not exactly fast paced either . if sci fi for you mean action and spaceship and interplanetary intrigue and give this one a miss . in fact and although the cover describe it a the cult bbc science fiction film and i would hesitate to call it science fiction while indeed and i would hesitate to label it anything at all . and it definitely flaw . the dialogue be riddle with melodrama and pretentious poetry while the camera work sophomoric and and the edit clumsy . and yet the effect shin through represent the movie have an eerie and otherworldly quality and where trivial detail ( such a an old lady glaring at a noisy conversation in a library ) seem to take on ominous significance . and so and if you have the patience and you will get suck in to this movie . it mysterious and and beautiful . but do not expect to come out satisfied . although there be a plot and it be far from clear . the story move from one surreal incident to another and each connect but seldom shed any light on it predecessor while even at the end and when it appear that our protagonist have triumph and it far from clear what exactly they have triumph over and and most loose end be leave firmly untied . hywel bennett do a fine job a a the somewhat petulant author catch up in a situation that might have be co write by kafka and philip k dick . dinah stabb perhaps succumb a little to her melodramatic script while dan oherlihy bring an artistic gravitas to his role . a cameo from a very young daniel day lewis and and a supporting role by sting and add a bit of celebrity interest . overall and artemis 81 remind me more than anything of twin peak ( which be make nearly a decade later and and and curiously and also feature dan oherlihy ) the same sense of explanation hidden just around the corner and and another reality just half glimpsed and poorly understood . i do not think everyone will enjoy this movie and but i certainly do .