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Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer (Into the Inferno) undertake a globe-trotting exploration of meteors that fell to Earth, both ancient and recent. If you don’t think that much about meteors, you have a whole universe to discover in Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds. Werner Herzog reunites with University of Cambridge professor Clive Oppenheimer, with whom he explored volcanoes for Into the Inferno. They travel the world hunting for meteors, revealing connections between science, history, and mythology. On camera, Oppenheimer interviews specialists with wonder and a dry wit, covering freak accidents, apocalyptic scenarios, and the mysteries of the cosmos. Herzog narrates in his distinct Bavarian accent (recognizable to fans of The Mandalorian). His phrasing remains unparalleled, even in his simple description of a Mexican beach resort “so godforsaken it makes you want to cry.” The film subverts stereotypes of scientists as socially awkward and predominantly male. The specialists talking to Oppenheimer are passionate and poetic. Many are women — from Mexico, India, South Korea, the US — with expertise spanning astronomy, cave archaeology, and NASA’s Planetary Defense. The film also dwells on ancient understandings of meteors in the traditions of Indigenous Australians, Mayan astronomers, and Papuan tribal elders. The film expands our imagination as we track wayward asteroids through high-powered telescopes or study space dust magnified 3,000 times. “It’s looking eternity in the eye,” says Jon Larsen, a Norwegian jazz musician obsessed with collecting micrometeorites. “This is the ashes of a previous generation of dying stars.” This film is an antidote for taking a wider view. Herzog and Oppenheimer seek nothing less than to find a connection between the solar system and your soul. (Toronto International Film Festival)
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Whenever I hear Werner Herzog, it’s like someone flicks a switch in my brain—I crank the volume up and get lost in his mesmerizing voice and signature lack of outward enthusiasm, even though you know he’s fully invested in every project he touches. Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds is no exception. Once again, Herzog gives it his all, diving deep into the mysteries of meteorites. Surprisingly though, he skips over the Ries Crater in his native Bavaria, where a meteorite once hit, creating moldavites that people in Southern Bohemia still hunt for today. But instead, we get a visit to an observatory where two dedicated scientists scan the skies every single night, keeping an eye out for anything potentially harmful headed our way. There’s also a jazz virtuoso in Oslo using a magnet on the roof of a sports hall to track down cosmic dust—that guy was fascinating. The film is full of quirky, passionate individuals like this, and I could listen to them talk all day. And, of course, the ending is the perfect Herzog-style cherry on top of a solid and intriguing documentary.
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