Review: Francis Ford Coppola’s Film Megalopolis

Megalopolis is a sprawling, ambitious Roman-inspired epic set in modern America, where political power struggles and personal ambitions crash into each other. Read on for a spoiler-free review of Megalopolis a film by Francis Ford Coppola.

The film follows Caesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a visionary urban planner determined to create a utopian city, New Rome. His dreams are constantly undermined by his cousin Claudio (Shia LaBeouf) and ex-lover Wow (Aubrey Plaza), who manipulate for their gain, as well as his political rival, Mayor Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). At the heart of the story is Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), Cicero’s daughter, caught between her father’s old-school ideals and her love for Caesar’s new vision of their community.

While the film’s core idea—a clash between progress and tradition—is intriguing, Megalopolis struggles to maintain coherence. The script feels bloated with multiple subplots that distract from the central narrative. Caesar’s battle for his dream is compelling, but too many bizarre, unexplained moments (like the mysterious Chinese satellite above New Rome, unveiling the “virgin” or Ceasar stopping time) leave the audience puzzled.

The performances are strong, especially from the women. Nathalie Emmanuel shines as Julia, bringing emotional depth to her role, and her chemistry with Adam Driver makes their romance believable. Aubrey Plaza delivers an enigmatic and slinky performance as the manipulative Wow, while Talia Shire makes a memorable appearance as Caesar’s mentally unstable mother.

The cinematography is visually stunning, but it often feels like style over substance. While the film explores themes of ambition and corruption, it occasionally veers into comedy due to its over-the-top execution. Ultimately, Megalopolis is an interesting yet bizarre watch.

Sarah’s Thoughts

Megalopolis is the most recent film from famed director Francis Ford Coppola. To say this is a passion project of his is putting it mildly. After over 30 years, and using his own money as funding, this movie was finally produced. The cinematography of Megalopolis is gorgeous. There are several colors, set designs, and moments of moving art throughout the movie.

While the cinematography stands out, the plot is unfortunately very lacking. Not only is it lacking, but the story as a whole is hard to follow. The audience is left questioning what they watched instead of focusing on the intended message, which is very pertinent to today’s political climate in the country. There are elements in the plot that aren’t followed through leaving several questions at the end of the film. The film’s timeline is also hard to follow, but it does not have any real purpose. Disappointingly, it isn’t a movie we can recommend. With a better storyline, this could have been a great movie.

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