Wes Anderson’s movies have a distinct look and feel, one that viewers have appreciated and poked fun at for over two decades. But on TikTok, his aesthetic is serving as TikTok’s latest inspiration as people begin documenting and depicting elements of their lives through his lens.
It’s not the first time people have homaged Anderson’s work on TikTok: In 2020, Madelaine Turner created a pandemic guide based on the famed director’s aesthetic. But according to Know Your Meme, TikTokers started taking it to another level this month.
The concept is simple. You score your short film to “Obituary” by Alexandre Desplat (Anderson’s go-to composer since Fantastic Mr. Fox), an instrumental piece that features in his 2021 film The French Dispatch. The film can be as long or short as you want. Anderson’s movies often flow as if they’re chapters of a book—even the ones based on original ideas—and the cards labeling dates, times, and locations reflect that. A caption reads, “You better not act like you’re in a Wes Anderson film”; sometimes, there is a slight variation, such as to make your film more specific.
And in that time, the videos feature a plethora of Anderson quirks such as bold but muted color, characters staring directly into the camera, and a focus on objects as much as people; of course, the production design is also impeccable.
Ava Williams’ video, which was posted on April 8, depicts a train ride to Grand Central Terminal early enough in the morning that she has an entire train car to herself.
“With a good imagination, everything is symmetrical,” she wrote. “Let a girl day dream!”
@avawillyums With a good imagination, everything is symmetrical. Let a girl day dream! #wesanderson ♬ Obituary – Alexandre Desplat
When Keith Afadi tried his hand at the trend after recently discovering Anderson’s work, he depicted a trip to Honest Burger with his wife. After rapturous enthusiasm from commenters, he’s since made more.
@keithafadi I’ve recently discovered Wes Anderson and his films so here’s a quick & fun little video for this trend
♬ Obituary – Alexandre Desplat
A woodshop works really well under the Anderson aesthetic.
@josh_rimmey let me tell you about my shop #wesanderson ♬ Obituary – Alexandre Desplat
A popular motif for the Wes Anderson movie trend is a trip somewhere, which allows people to document something that could be both mundane and exciting as hell.
@ericadrawsbadly the best trend since the adult swim one #wesanderson #wesandersonedit #thefrenchdispatch #wesandersoninspired #brighton ♬ Obituary – Alexandre Desplat
@twolostkids Sempre fingimos que estamos em um filme do Wes Anderson – Lost in Paris #wesanderson #shotoniphone ♬ Obituary – Alexandre Desplat
@maria.smal A semi-autobiographical short film ‼️ #wesanderson #shotoniphone @zayydante @jeggubb #CapCut ♬ Obituary – Alexandre Desplat
Mike Quyen’s spin on the trend doubled as a parody of The French Dispatch by setting it in London.
@qmike The British Dispatch 🚂- a short movie inspired by the world of Wes Anderson #cinematography #wesanderson ♬ Obituary – Alexandre Desplat
And India Rose Crawford got really creative by incorporating another Anderson love (stop-motion animation) for a double homage.
@indiarosecrawford Couldn’t resist joining in with this trend 🐸💖 #wesanderson #robertyeoman #knittedfrog ♬ Obituary – Alexandre Desplat
Anderson’s style is easy to poke fun at, and he’s the kind of director who makes for an easy target between his highly stylized movies and longstanding criticisms about his cast. But it doesn’t seem like the people creating entire short films in Anderson’s style are making fun of him maliciously—rather, they’re celebrating the craft just as much. And with his next film, Asteroid City, arriving in a couple of months, we’ll soon have more inspiration for our next Anderson homage.
