Being a fan of Alden Ehrenreich is getting a whole lot better. This year alone we have three new movies, Ehrenreich’s own short film, and his continued use of his very aesthetically pleasing Instagram account. It’s been great. The star of Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ehrenreich has constantly been working, but it might not be on projects at the top of your radar—which is exciting for you, because it means you have a lot of Ehrenreich content to catch up on now that many are becoming obsessed with his work after Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
Playing a Senate Aide to Robert Downey Jr.’s Lewis Strauss, Ehrenreich brings to life the anger that many of us in the audience feel at Strauss’ inability to move past his petty ways. He has two of the best moments in the film, one mocking Strauss about Dr. Hill’s feelings on him and the second when he points out Strauss’ own self-centered thoughts about a conversation between Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and Einstein (Tom Conti). It’s a standout performance from Ehrenreich, which means that many are talking about him online.
What I hope this does is open the door to people embracing the brilliance that is Ehrenreich’s take on John in Brave New World. The Peacock series, based on the novel by Aldous Huxley, highlights the problem with numbing yourself to the reality of the world and what happens when those feelings take over.
John the Savage (Ehrenreich) is all about embracing those emotions and finding the beauty in the world, which involves two of the most beautiful music moments I’ve seen in recent years. It helps that the series is a great adaptation of Huxley’s work as a whole.
A great Alden Ehrenreich performance and adaptation!
At the end of the pilot for Brave New World, John is given a song that is meant to change the way he feels about something. For me, that’s one of the most beautiful songs and one of my all-time favorites. So I instantly loved what the show said about it. Then, later in the series, Lenina (Jessica Brown Findlay) finds John’s music and listens to a Neil Young song. If you have ever listened to a Neil Young song, you know the power that it has.
To me, that’s what makes this show so special. It highlights what Huxley’s novel had to say about the beauty of feelings and emotions and why a world of people drugged up to keep themselves from feeling anything isn’t a good one. The Peacock adaptation from David Wiener not only brings to life Huxley’s work for a modern audience but also serves as a vehicle for the power of Ehrenreich’s performance when he’s at his best.
So if you came out of Oppenheimer ready to dive into Ehrenreich’s career, I’d start with Brave New World and his short film Shadow Brother Sunday. Also know that I envy the journey you’re about to embark on, especially getting to see Cocaine Bear for the first time.
(featured image: Peacock)
