History YMMV / TheCongress

** The body scan scene. It starts on a heartwarming note with Al telling Robin a silly childhood memory to make her laugh and smile for the program to capture all her expressions, and it gradually gets sadder when he continues on describing how his path took him to Robin, and here he shamefully admits the love her feels for her, and how bad he feels for making Robin undergo this scanning procedure which is essentially her final performance, lamenting that she doesn't deserve it. By the end of it both of them are in tears.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: The first third of the movie takes the form of a fairly conventional narrative with a slight sci-fi bent to it. Once the animation takes over, any semblance of reality goes out the window in favor of a gigantic MindScrew. It is probably best enjoyed while high.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Arguably the film's raison d'être. Those who like art films with deep philosophical themes will find much to appreciate. Those looking for something entertaining or at least coherent will likely be left scratching their heads in frustration.

** With the rapid advancements of generative A.I. during TheNewTwenties, and the [[https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/19/ai-actors-fear-sag-strike-hollywood/ ongoing debates]] about the morality of using digitized copies of actors and extras to save on money, the concepts of ''The Congress'' become bitterly prophetic.

* HarsherInHindsight: Early on, Robin mentions that she would rather sleep with Jeff to get a part than degrade herself to be scanned and barred from ever appearing in a movie as herself again - along with mentioning this is an OpenSecret how actresses get roles in [[Creator/{{Miramax}} Mira]][[Creator/{{Paramount}} mount]] movies. A throw-away line in 2013 about sleazy movie producers, but not so much after the whole [=#MeToo=] shebang and Harvey Weinstein being incarcerated while awaiting further trails for additional sexual abuse and rape cases. And the fact Miramount is explicitly referencing various real-life situations related with Miramax makes it even less coincidental.

** Robin Wright's demands of not using her digitized copy in films about the Holocaust and Nazism became ironic with the release of Ari Folman's later film ''Film/WhereIsAnneFrank''.

* HarsherInHindsight: Early on, Robin mentions that she would rather sleep with Jeff to get a part than degrade herself to be scanned and barred from ever appearing in a movie as herself again - along with mentioning this is an OpenSecret how actresses get roles in [[Creator/{{Miramax}} Mira]][[Creator/{{Paramount}} mount]] movies. A throw-away line in 2013 about sleazy movie producers, but not so much after the whole [=#MeeToo=] shebang and Harvey Weinstein being incarcerated while awaiting further trails for additional sexual abuse and rape cases. And the fact Miramount is explicitly referencing various real-life situations related with Miramax makes it even less coincidental.

** Robin Wright's demands of not using her digitized copy in films about the holocaust and Nazism will become ironic once Ari Folman's [[https://www.awn.com/news/production-begins-ari-folmans-where-anne-frank next project]] comes out, which is [[Literature/TheDiaryOfAYoungGirl Anne Frank]]-related.

* HarsherInHindsight: Early on, Robin mentions that she would rather sleep with Jeff to get a part than degrade herself to be scanned and barred from ever appearing in a movie as herself again - along with mentioning this is an OpenSecret how actresses get roles in [[Creator/{{Miramax}} Mira]][[Creator/{{Paramount}} mount]] movies. A throw-away line in 2013 about sleazy movie producers, but not so much after the whole [=#MeeToo=] shebang and Creator/HarveyWeinstein being incarcerated while awaiting further trails for additional sexual abuse and rape cases. And the fact Miramount is explicitly referencing various real-life situations related with Miramax makes it even less coincidental.

* HarsherInHindsight: Early on, Robin mentions that she would rather sleep with Jeff to get a part than degrade herself to be scanned and barred from ever appearing in a movie as herself again - along with mentioning this is an OpenSecret how actresses get roles in [[Creator/{{Miramax}} Mira]][[Creator/{{Paramount}} mount]] movies. A throw-away line in 2013 about sleazy movie producers, but not so much after the whole [=#MeeToo=] shebang and Harvey Weinstein being incarcerated while awaiting further trails for additional sexual abuse and rape cases. And the fact Miramount is explicitly referencing various real-life situations related with Miramax makes it even less coincidental.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: The first third of the movie takes the form of a fairly conventional narrative with a slight sci-fi bent to it. Once the animation takes over, any semblance of reality goes out the window in favor of a gigantic MindScrew. It is probably best enjoyed while high.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Since [[HumanPopsicle hypersleep]] exists in the 2030s (after the film's first time jump) why couldn't Aaron just hibernate and ask to be awakened once his mother recovered and got unfrozen? Maybe the real reason [[spoiler: he goes missing and Dylan can't find him anywhere in 20 years while Robin lies hibernated]] is because he lost faith in his mother after the social collapse and [[spoiler:decided to take the chemical drug for the animated realm]] much sooner and intentionally avoided being found by Dylan, thus Dr. Barker couldn't bring himself to tell Robin the truth and preferred to make up the story that Aaron waited for her.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The look and especially the beard of [[elderly Dr. Barker]] is rather unconvincing.

** In the film Robin Wright explores the moral implications of an actor's likeness being digitally replicated to be used in movies, which is ironic considering that Wright went on to star four years later in ''Film/BladeRunner2049'' in which [[spoiler:a copy of Rachael shows up, portrayed by a digitally recreated 1982 Creator/SeanYoung.]]

* HilariousInHindsight: Robin Wright plays a version of herself whose career has gone downhill. The film came out in 2013, the same year that ''Series/{{House of Cards|US}}'' premiered. Her role in that series helped to revitalize her career.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: The first third of the movie takes the form of a fairly conventional narrative with a slight sci-fi bent to it. Once the animation takes over, any semblance of reality goes out the window if favor of a gigantic MindScrew. It is probably best enjoyed while high.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Arguably the film's raison d'être. Those who appreciate art films with deep philosophical themes will find much to appreciate. Those looking for something entertaining or at least coherent will likely be left scratching their heads in frustration.

* HilariousInHindsight: Robin Wright plays a version of herself whose career has gone downhill. The film came out in 2013, the same year that ''Series/HouseOfCards (US)'' premiered. Her role in that series helped to revitalize her career.

* HilariousInHindsight: Robin Wright plays a version of herself whose career has gone downhill. The film came out in 2013, the same year that ''Series/HouseOfCards'' premiered. Her role in that series helped to revitalize her career.