Netflix Summary:
Adam lives on a poverty-stricken world, while Eden is from its affluent twin planet, and their love sparks an interplanetary incident. Social stigma, family and government forces work to keep them apart, but they’ll stop at nothing to be together.
FYA Summary:
Adam and Eden first met when they were merely children. By the time they were teenagers, a love had blossomed. There’s just one little problem—the two live on two different planets. Literally. Adam lives “Down Below,” on a world filled with poverty; Eden lives “Up Top,” on a world filled with the best money can buy. The two planets share an atmosphere, but have different gravities, so from one of their perspectives, the other person is always upside-down. An accident separates the two, and it’s not until 10 years later that Adam sees Eden again.
Familiar Faces:
Jim Sturgess as Adam
Adam is a boy from the wrong side of the tracks with a heart of gold. Jim does a wonderful job of playing the lovesick man who’ll do anything for the woman he loves. He’s also got really adorable hair.
Kirsten Dunst as Eden
Eden is a bit of a milquetoast character, but she’s sweet. Kristen plays her to a T.
Blu Mankuma as Albert
Albert is a father figure to Adam, and Blu is the kind of man that looks like he’d give great bear hugs. Plus, that voice. So soothing, even when he’s voicing his disapproval.
Timothy Spall as Bob Boruchowitz
Bob is a co-worker of Adam’s from Up Top who helps him with some schemes. It’s nice to see Timothy in a non-villain role.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Low
Upside Down is the kind of pleasant, pretty movie that’s made for a quiet night alone. In addition, having to pay attention to the “science” behind the plot might make it hard to carry on a conversation during.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Low
Upside Down is a movie based on the premise that two worlds with opposite gravity can exist in a single solar system. During the first three minutes of the film, “double gravity” is explained. I was stone-cold sober and had just had a cup of coffee and it was still kind of hard for me to understand.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Good
I’d never even heard of Upside Down until I was perusing Netflix’s New Arrivals, but it is a lovely film filled with awesome CGI and an adorable Jim Sturgess. The story was a little bizarre, but I was very pleasantly surprised with it as a whole. If you like movies that require you to take an open-minded leap into the unbelievable—mixed with a heavy helping of romance—then you’ll probably enjoy this one, too.
