While most summaries will describe “Strange World” as I did in the introduction to this article, here’s another way to frame it: A mysterious virus is infecting Avalonia’s crops. The leaders of this country are recruiting various experts from different fields to go on an expedition to learn more about the worsening infection and find a way to eradicate it. Through a variety of different methods, these experts accept, learn and adapt to their situation until they find a viable solution. Sounds familiar, right?
After going through all this, the movie ends with a time skip to the year after the Clade family’s journey. We catch all the characters getting used to a new life as they get used to the new status quo, which is no longer dependent on the Pando energy source. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Seeker Clade receives a letter from his son Ethan. “It’s inspiring to see how resilient people can be. We can be resourceful. We can surprise. The world has clearly changed and continues to change,” says the character, played by Jaboukie Young-White. “Even though we can’t live like we did in the past, we’ve given ourselves a better chance in the future. We’re not quite there yet, but we will be.”