Three Thousand Years of Longing

George Miller returns with his most recent directorial role in Three Thousand Years of Longing, inspired by the work of British Novelist A. S. Byatt.

Three Thousand Years of Longing was released on the 26th of August 2022 by distributing companies – Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Roadshow Entertainment.

Featuring an incredibly talented cast such as Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. We follow the events of a lonely narratologist played by Tilda Swinton, who on her trip to Istanbul discovers a Djinn played by Idris Elba that promises to make three of her wishes come true in exchange for his freedom.

George Miller does a meticulous approach at the beginning of the film that immediately catches the attention of the audience leaving you craving for more.

At first, I was not sure as to what to expect going into this film, however, there was a slight hint or less on what the movie would involve with a name such as Three Thousand Years of Longing.

There is violence, love, and betrayal. For a film that’s heavily centered between two actors and their dialog I must admit, I was enthralled from the very beginning to the bitter end.

Whilst Alithea Binnie and Djinn are in the hotel room together, Djinn decides to tell his side of the stories and the events that allowed him to end up in her bottle.

From the very moment we meet Djinn, I found myself wanting to learn more and more about the film, the people, and how everything is connected.

Visually alone, George Miller goes over and beyond with the breathtaking spectacles that we see throughout this film.

The Djinn’s design speaks for itself with its greenish-blue scales, golden fingertips, and reddish paws which give him a majestic being kind of view, sort of like the legendary creature known as the Griffin.

Meeting the Queen of Sheba and her tale completely captivated my mind and essence, King Solomon and the wondrous instrument that he used to capture her interest, it’s so beautifully told.

Though at times you can tell that CGI was used for certain scenes, it never looks rushed or out of place, same could be said about the VFX as well.

But without a doubt, the cream of the crop, the cherry on top of the cake that makes this film what it is, is the actors themselves, Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba.

I love the chemistry between Elba and Swinton, it’s specifically because of them and in the way they interact and communicate with each other that makes almost everything they say hit deep.

It’s in the way and tone in which Idris Elba tells his magical stories to Ms. Binnie that makes me invested in this film, it’s heartfelt, and it comes off as genuine love but unfortunately was never meant to be.

Keep in mind that a lot of this film is hidden references and hardly is anything ever giving a concrete answer until the very end, you will need to consider all the things that you saw and heard during the film to get the answer the film is trying to tell you.

Parallels play a huge part in this film, all revolving around Alithea Binnie. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone so I suggest you rewatch the film again in case you missed it.

I truly enjoyed watching Three Thousand Years of Longing, I think it’s an incredible film adaptation of – The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye which was released in 1994 as a collection of five mythical short stories by British novelist A. S. Byatt.

I recommend this film to anyone over the age of 18 that is looking for a film that will provoke their minds as well as hearts. Anyone willing to read in between the lines rather than being answered on a silver platter.

Let me know in the comments section below what you loved, liked, or disliked about Three Thousand Years of Longing.

Thank you for reading the review from, your lonely spirit.