Angels and Insects, 1995, dir. Philip Haas

 

      William Adamson, a naturalist returning to England after years exploring the Amazon, finds himself destitute following the loss of his possessions at sea. He is taken in by a wealthy Victorian family whose patriarch shares his fascination with entomology. As William becomes integrated into their household and begins studying their extensive insect collection, he develops a complicated relationship with the enigmatic Eugenia, the patriarch’s daughter.

      Haas crafts the film with a refined visual sensibility that reflects the rigid elegance of Victorian society. The cinematography by Remi Adefarasin captures candlelit interiors, lush gardens, and the delicate textures of the natural world, mirroring the film’s fascination with observation and classification. The performances by Mark Rylance and Kristin Scott Thomas bring subtle tension to a story where restraint often conceals deeper desires and secrets.

      Adapted from a novella by A. S. Byatt, the film explores parallels between human behaviour and insect societies, suggesting that beneath the veneer of civility lie instincts shaped by hierarchy, survival, and reproduction. The narrative gradually reveals the darker implications of these comparisons within the household itself.

      Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, the film was praised for its performances and intellectual ambition, standing out as an unusual blend of period drama, scientific reflection, and psychological mystery.