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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Queen of Atlantis remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for black-and-white atmosphere and don't mind when a movie moves at the speed of a tired camel, sure. It’s an oddity. If you need snappy dialogue or CGI spectacle, you’ll probably want to skip this and watch Fly Hi instead.
The Sahara scenes feel genuinely hot. You can practically taste the grit in the actors' teeth. Then the shift to the underground city happens and everything gets weirdly geometric and stagey.
Brigitte Helm is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. She has this way of staring that makes you feel like she’s looking through the camera lens and right into your living room. It’s a bit much sometimes, but you can’t look away.
The pacing is… well, it’s a choice. There are moments where the desert heat seems to infect the editing room. It just kind of drifts.
I found myself staring at the background extras more than the leads. Why is that guy in the corner just standing there? Did he forget his blocking? It’s charming in a messy, human sort of way.
It’s not perfect. It’s not even trying to be smooth. It feels more like a relic than a movie, which is exactly why it kept my attention for as long as it did. If you enjoyed the dusty stakes of Fighting Through, you’ll probably find something to latch onto here. Just don't expect it to make much sense by the end. Sometimes, a movie just is what it is. 🏜️✨