A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) Film Review: An underwhelming mish-mash of ideas that never manages to find its footing

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Two strangers, David (Colin Farrell) and Sarah (Margot Robbie), who meet at a mutual friend's wedding, find themselves on a fantastical adventure, where they get the chance to relive important moments from their past and possibly change their future.

Helmed by the American-based video essayist turned writer and director Kogonada, with a screenplay by writer Seth Reiss, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) presents an ambitious concept; however, similarly to its rather clunky title, this messy attempted blend of genres and concepts unfortunately does not successfully pay off.

The initial idea behind the film's story is certainly interesting, yet its execution leaves a lot to be desired. Two attractive singles meet and happen to spark an interest in each other, with both having visited the same car rental company, leading to their sat navs strangely begin speaking to them, asking the all-important question: "Do you want to go on a big, bold, beautiful journey?".

Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie star as two singletons who meet by chance and soon embark on a miraculous adventure into their respective pasts, opening up the door for the opportunity to change their futures

The potential couple is then guided towards various scenic locations, where literal doors to their past await. It is an imaginative concept that promises much, but the movie never manages to live up to its full potential and ultimately has no clue who its audience is.

The film is a truly baffling one to review, as the tone is very inconsistent, varying from reflective melodrama to fantastical flair and bizarre out-of-place attempts at comedy, which the majority feel forced and fall flat. Sometimes, the film leans into the sickly sweet sentimentality and nostalgic whimsy of being able to go back and relive embarrassing childhood moments, such as David's overenthusiastic school play performance and failure to win the heart of his crush, which would seemingly appeal to children or a younger audience.

However, the script is littered with swear words, constant 'f' bombs, and very often retreats into a downbeat, contemplative tone; therefore, it awkwardly sits in a difficult place for film fans.

The film sports a compelling, theatrical, storybook-like presentation with a series of doors appearing in unlikely rural locations, leading to a variety of chances to relive old memories

There is an uninspired, minimalist, and (dare I say it?) lazy quality to the screenplay, which is a huge shame, as Seth Reiss provided fantastic work for the highly original The Menu (2022) a few years ago. Viewers are expected to completely suspend their disbelief regarding the fantasy element of the narrative and accept the fact that the characters never stop to question how any of the phenomena they experience is even possible, and what the actual rules are of the time jumping.

There is a superficial feel to each set piece, with clear intentions to evoke whimsy, charm, or stir deep emotion, but the conflicting stylistic choices and predictable nature of the plot severely let it down.

The movie does have a couple of solid technical aspects going for it. Due to the creativity of its premise and the freedom to experiment with its visuals, audiences are treated to an aesthetically pleasing viewing experience. The film generally looks lovely, with the placement of each door taking on the original, unique appearance as it would have been in the past, and each destination emphasizes the picturesque natural beauty of the world.

Joe Hisaishi, well known for his emotive scores for many Studio Ghibli animated features, also composes an airy, provocative soundtrack that adds a peaceful, immersive quality to the film.

The movie may have come across as more digestible if the two leads could hold the confused piece together; however, this is sadly not the case here. Both Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell are wonderful actors in their own right, but it is painfully obvious that they were simply not the right choices here. There is little to no romantic chemistry between them, and this lack of spark, unfortunately, leaves a poor impression, as it genuinely feels like both are snoozing through their roles for the next pay cheque.

Will romance bloom between these two drifters with troubled pasts?

Of course, a bad script and stilted, cliché dialogue certainly do not help their case. Robbie's character, in particular, definitely suffers in the writing department, coming across as mostly unlikable and lacking adequate depth and substance to justify her odd actions and behaviour.

All in all, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey has some merit, but definitely not enough to save this strange concoction of uneven stylistic choices. Despite an imaginative premise with plenty of potential, the film quickly begins to fall apart with a weak screenplay that features misplaced humour, forced dialogue, and a plethora of missed opportunities. Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell are far from their best and have to be one of the most glaring romantic mismatches in recent memory.

This is a journey which is probably not worth the cost in ticket price...

Check out the trailer for A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) below, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments!