Idris Elba's Fantasy Movie From The Director Of Mad Max Is A Hidden Gem On Prime Video
Idris Elba is one hell of a charisma machine. He's an actor with a witty sense of humor and intimidating physicality but also an alluring charm that allows him to jump around from one genre to another with ease. That's why the best Idris Elba movies are so varied when it comes to tone and genre. He can play the inspiring yet stern military leader in a kaiju flick, a scene-stealing villain in a Western, or an animated echidna with gloves.
Indeed, it's that versatility that has allowed Elba to star in both DC and Marvel movies, play an '80s toy figure in a rather underrated live-action movie (truly, seek out 2026's "Masters of the Universe"), or portray a deeply melancholic djinn.
This last one is important, as one of Elba's best performances is in a fantasy flick that is streaming right now on Prime Video and boasts one hell of a cast and crew. The movie in question? "Three Thousand Years of Longing," a 2022 film directed by "Mad Max" creator George Miller and based on the 1994 short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye" by A. S. Byatt. It stars Elba as a djinn who is unleashed from a bottle by a professor (played by Tilda Swinton) and then proceeds to tell her stories from his millennia-old existence.
In short: "Three Thousand Years of Longing" is romantic fairy tale epic about the power of storytelling, and a maximalist film by one of our best living directors.
Three Thousand Years of Longing is an act of magic
George Miller is simply a filmmaking magician. He's a man who can make a movie about biker gangs on a shoestring budget work like a massive spectacle (or make the world fall in love with a dancing animated penguin or a talking pig). Miller has worked in different genres, tones, and even mediums throughout his career, crafting Oscar-friendly dramas, adventure films for kids, and ultra-violent post-apocalyptic thrillers. But no matter what shape they take, his movies feel like the biggest and most spectacular piece of cinema you've ever seen.
That's why "Three Thousand Years of Longing" works so well. It's a movie that not only test Miller's ability to tell stories but also his love of storytelling itself. Though this is by no means a fast-paced, large-scale epic like "Mad Max: Fury Road," it nevertheless feels just as big and important. Sure, its CGI isn't all that convincing (it's quite apparent the film's production was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic), but Miller knows how to use visual effects as a tool to aid the story. Even the small and intimate scenes between the djinn and the professor, set inside a simple hotel room, can feel quite riveting thanks to the movie's inventive camera angles (which make their conversation feel visually lively).
But the real wonder begins when Miller takes us back in time with the stories that Idris Elba's djinn tells about his past. Here, Miller plays with the frame rate in order to add a storybook-like layer to the film, making the flashbacks feel otherworldly and fantastical. Every shot is rich in detail as well, with huge sets and vast landscapes that spark the imagination.
The world failed George Miller when it came to Three Thousand Years of Longing
Tonally, the film has more in common with George Miller's sequel "Babe: Pig in the City" than "Mad Max: Fury Road," and this is meant as the highest of compliments. "Three Thousand Years of Longing" is full of jaw-droppingly wild moments that defy the imagination. Unfortunately, these moments are not exactly action-oriented.
It makes sense, then, that audiences expecting another high-octane action flick like "Fury Road" didn't find what they were looking for in this movie. And so, despite earning positive reviews (along with a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival), "Three Thousand Years of Longing" flopped hard. Even without a whole lot of competition during its opening weekend and a wide theatrical release, Miller's fairy tale ultimately became one of the biggest box office bombs of 2022. Granted, theaters were still in recovery mode after the COVID-19 lockdowns at the time — that and there was a lack of marketing for this film that could really sell what it is and what it isn't.
At least "Three Thousand Years of Longing" lives on thanks to streaming. Again, the film is currently available to watch on Prime Video, allowing you to experience this hidden gem for yourself. Throw in a romantic performance by Idris Elba, and you've got quite a special movie.