Annette is unlike any film that has come out this year - or perhaps even the last few years.
Starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard as Henry and Ann, respectively, the narrative follows a couple whose changing fortunes and the arrival of their daughter bring about a fantastical journey depicting marriage and mental breakdown.
The story is hard enough to understand in normal terms, but the added song element often makes it difficult to keep up with all the twists and turns this movie offers.
Henry and Ann are successful artists in their own right, with the media fixated on their relationship. They then have a daughter, Annette, who soon showcases a surprising gift - though this only leads to destruction.
The songs come from Sparks, the famed duo made up of brothers Russell and Ron Mael, and have everything a rock opera should, from lilting ballads to sung narrative.
However, the story itself has some rather strange moments and some incredibly niche references for viewers to unpick as they navigate the madness before them.
Here, we break down the best (and utterly wild) moments from Annette.
Oh - and there are some big spoilers ahead, so look away now if you've not seen the movie!
The 10 Weirdest Moments From Annette
1. Adam Driver's Stand-Up Comedy
Adam Driver has proven time and again that he can literally turn his hand to anything: from playing an embittered divorcee in Marriage Story, to taking on complicated Star Wars villain, Kylo Ren.
But his latest gig in Annette sees him take on the role of a twisted and troubled stand-up comedian, Henry McHenry, who refers to himself as the "Ape of God".
As part of his dark and sinister routine, Henry jokes about killing his wife, suicide, and depression - all whilst bursting into song, rap verses and jumping across the stage wearing just a dressing gown (naturally).
In the end credits, Driver thanked comedians Bill Burr and Chris Rock for inspiring his performance, but Henry is on a whole other level entirely.
2. Live Singing And Oral Sex
Yup, you read that correctly. Both Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver not only sing live throughout the movie, they show off their vocals during the film's most...intimate scenes. Pretty uncomfortable, yes, but impressive, nonetheless.
During an official interview ahead of the film's release at the Cannes Film Festival on July 6, Cotillard shared the live singing "added to the complexity of the set."
"We found ourselves singing in very complicated positions, doing back-crawling or mimicking cunnilingus; acrobatic positions that technically modify your song," she said.
3. The Birth Scene
Ann and Henry's relationship moves from strength to strength (as the movie's Showbizz News Channel delighted in telling us), culminating in them having a child, Baby Annette.
The birthing scene is out of this world, with midwives singing at a laughing Ann as Henry sweated profusely in the corner. As the music swells, out comes tiny Annette - who doesn't appear to be a human baby at all...
4. Annette is a Puppet
...which brings us to our next point: Annette is born a slightly odd-looking marionette puppet.
But is Annette a puppet in reality, or is she a puppet in Henry's eyes? Surely Ann would have registered that she'd given birth to a puppet?
While Annette isn't cute, per se, she isn't entirely creepy either. Instead, she symbolizes something much more: her puppet characteristics foreshadow what is to come, in that Henry uses his daughter's talents for his own gain.
Either way, it does not take away from the fact we are watching a literal puppet sing.
5. The Boat Accident
With Henry's career sinking and Ann's soaring high, his anger finally gets the better of him in a drink-fuelled argument on a boat.
Ann pleads with her husband for the sake of Annette, but in a strange to-ing and fro-ing on a very stormy sea (aided by green screen), Henry throws his wife into the water and sails away on a dinghy with his puppet-daughter in tow.
6. The Death Of An Accompanist
Simon Helberg is low-key the main reason you should see Annette. The Big Bang Theory alum takes on the role of the "accompanist" who has dreams of becoming a conductor - it all sounds very wholesome until he crosses paths with Henry McHenry.
It turns out the accompanist actually has a romantic interest in Ann and even believes he could be Annette's real father, leading Henry to drown him in his pool.
Helberg may have had a smaller role but in the end, his character played a huge part in Ann and Henry's story.
7. Annette's 'Superbowl' Performance
After the various deaths, Henry retires Annette from singing with a final performance: at the HyperBowl Half-Time Show.
The puppet is dropped by drones onto a giant, floating, light-up triangle but she refuses to sing, so the announcer and band repeat their introduction awkwardly in the hope of winning her round. In the end, she does perform with just one sentence: "Daddy kills people."
8. The Hauntings
Annette's singing talent comes directly from Ann (with Marion Cotillard even providing the voice), who passed her vocals on to her daughter as a way of taunting her husband.
However, another way she does this is by appearing periodically dressed as a drowned witch, singing at Henry about his terrible crimes as he cowers in fear. Look out particularly for her pointed shoulders which stick out of her hip-length, straggly hair.
9. Adam Driver's Growing Facial Mark
At the beginning of the movie, Henry has a small mark on his cheek, barely noticeable at all to those watching.
By the end, his mark is creeping up towards his nose, serving as a metaphor for how his villainy has grown throughout the course of the movie. This is a classic fairytale trope, though one which has received some criticism in recent years.
10. The Many Religious References
As eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed, there are some glaring religious references that creep into the movie, adding an extra level of bizarreness to the mix.
Henry's stand-up show is called the "Ape of God", which is a phrase often used for the devil as one who mimics God without being him.
Meanwhile Ann is depicted like Eve from the book of Genesis, as she is tempted by the devil, which ultimately leads to her death. In case that was too subtle for the audience, she's also seen eating many an apple, like in the Garden of Eden.
Annette is streaming on Amazon Prime now.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on ... Read more
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