William: Finally a movie on cloning a Neanderthal.

Recently I was lying in bed with flu or Covid (heaven knows what actually ails you these days without expensive tests) watching Youtube doccies on my favorite topic: the Neanderthals. I was still thinking to myself, isn't it about time somebody made a movie or a mini-series about cloning back a Neanderthal? I mean cloning, not de-frosting a cave-man found in ice like the forgettable Encino Man (1992) or Iceman (1984) (neither of which aimed for much more than cheap entertainment).

And suddenly here it was!
Yip, right in my YouTube suggestions: a movie called William (2019).
Despite being a drama, I was glued to the screen, and despite preferring comedy or horror, I was never bored.

Now as one can imagine this movie raises several ethical questions, as well as interpreting Neanderthals physically and mentally.
And yip, it has been heavily criticized for not addressing all of them.

But considering it's not a major Hollywood blockbuster on an Indie budget, I found it remarkably moving and well acted.

This link includes a trailer and also some critique and accolades.
www.imdb.com...

Here the whole movie on YouTube (watch it while it lasts before some possible copyright claim):
www.youtube.com...

a reply to: halfoldman

originally posted by: halfoldman
Recently I was lying in bed with flu or Covid (heaven knows what actually ails you these days without expensive tests) watching Youtube doccies on my favorite topic: the Neanderthals. I was still thinking to myself, isn't it about time somebody made a movie or a mini-series about cloning back a Neanderthal? I mean cloning, not de-frosting a cave-man found in ice like the forgettable Encino Man or Ice Man (neither of which aimed for much more than cheap entertainment).

And suddenly here it was!
Yip, right in my YouTube suggestions: a movie called William (2019).
Despite being a drama, I was glued to the screen, and despite preferring comedy or horror, I was never bored.

Now as one can imagine this movie raises several ethical questions, as well as interpreting Neanderthals physically and mentally.
And yip, it has been heavily criticized for not addressing all of them.

But considering it's not a major Hollywood blockbuster on an Indie budget, I found it remarkably moving and well acted.

This link includes a trailer and also some critique and accolades.
www.imdb.com...

Here the whole movie on YouTube (watch it while it lasts before some possible copyright claim):
www.youtube.com...

Cool, definitely going to check it out.
Here's a flick that imprinted on my brain as a kid - Joan Crawford and the troglodyte!

Here's the trailer again:



Before I start crying and getting all snotty again.

Of course it's fiction and in that world-making it seems William only finds out about Neanderthals before his 18th birthday (a bit like zombie movies lack any popular culture about zombies). I mean, he never learnt about Neanderthals in school, or ever got taken to the library or museum to see the prehistoric animals (yeah boy, you don't know how lucky you really are). And he Googles it on his laptop. He's also unaware of similar colonized tribal peoples who were forcibly assimilated (partly by the adoption of "stolen generations" in Australia and North America, for example). Although not Homo Sapiens in that sense, he's in a similar position at the end. In fact, the theme of foster-parenting a child who comes to the awareness that his past is totally different to his adoptive parents threatens to over-shadow the narrative with a family melodrama.

OK, he's raised by two contemporary star academics, and their clashing identity politics (ooh-ooh, here comes the foreseeable tragedy). And it's partly played out in modern gender politics - dad wants a star academic, and mom says he can work at a hardware store.

What else can a Neanderthal do with all that brawn?

I was thinking a stint in the Marines, or maybe a football player, but his childhood seems to have been too sheltered for that.

The poor dude doesn't even get a gap year to decide.

In addition he also sings reasonably well, and he could have been a contender on any pop music talent show.

And then he keeps breaking his pencils at the University entrance exams - good grief, somebody get the man a pen!
Perhaps luckily (or perhaps deliberately), he also knows nothing on safe sex and birth control?

Despite his "othered" forehead, he's a surprisingly attractive specimen as an adult, and I'm sure he would have been a hit at any gay event. But luckily he doesn't have any other "gender issues" to complicate his brief sojourn on earth any further. Pity, no Neanderthal mincing about at the local LGBT pride parade.

Which makes me wonder that he doesn't need V.I.P. protection from thousands of Neanderthal groupies who want his half-breed baby, or Neanderthal wannabees: "I'm 2-5 percent Neanderthal myself dude, I can relate".

But I'm starting to be sarcastic.
I really enjoyed the movie!

Well, it's a start on many issues that will become increasingly pressing as our technology approaches ever closer to the point of cloning a Neanderthal.

Perhaps as William gains a larger audience, we can see bigger and lengthier productions (a mini-series?) that can explore many of the uncompleted and complex themes raised in this film.

I sure hope so.

Well done, for an artistic footprint in the right direction.

Hey thanks for sharing this. I love it when ATS members post movies you would normally never hear about. I'm about a 3rd through this movie. So far it's been very interesting.

Pro tip: I found it on roku and better quality too.

Hell, you made me interested, it isn't easy finding decent movies anymore, but ATS has mostly had good recommendations. It fits loosely with my pet theory is now science and academia want to suppress and remove some of the male baser instincts from the gene pool. Those neanderthal instincts we seem to possess.

Such as the hunter/warrior aspect of the tribal male, TPTB wants a more docile, sensitive, and thoughtful individual. All the while the social, management and athletic skills learned from competitive events are used continuously in the real world in real life the value is immeasurable.

William can come camping with me any day, but dude you're not playing my guitar again.

"So William, can you play E"?

"Yes".

Twang, there hang all six broken guitar strings.

"Er dude, have you tried gently strumming with your pinkie"?

One wonders, what might Botox do to a Neanderthal face?

Wow, now I'm looking at the floor.
My eyeballs have been stretched into my brow-ridges like a desk-lamp.

I should really vacuum the carpets more frequently.

Wow, he needs 20 percent more food.

That's probably like a roll of TP if he follows the Western ways.

Not a good Carbon footprint prognosis.

During lock-down frenzy: "Get that Monster! He stole 20 percent of our TP"!

I finally finished up this movie. Good movie!
So he had no feelings of a human nature, Interesting. He knew not of metaphor's, humor and in the end apparently love too. Sad ending, but expected. He was not a fit for modern society. All he had was natural intelligence and instinct, and that showed at the end.

Cool Movie

In the gym shower, and suddenly the Neanderthal walks in behind you.

You not going to look?

Yeah, but a gentleman doesn't tell.

Similar to:

3rd way though it, as the above poster said also, and I'm digging this. Interesting concept. Beats all the rubbish 3rd rate horror movies that come up on my stream. Cheers for posting!

a reply to: halfoldman

Loved this movie! Thank you so much for sharing this!