I choose to view it as the latter, perhaps in my interest for self-preservation, having made it to the end. The subject matter is undeniably interesting and the cinematography is beautiful but little else rings true; the story, its pacing and tone, becomes overbearing far too early on, with less patient viewers likely giving up nearer the start than the end.

Its greatest flaws could have been its greatest strengths had stylistic choices been used more sparingly. The overuse of sound and mood music is not just overbearing, it becomes comical. Even with the sparse dialogue, every character speaks with some form of affectation, which again doesn't ring true, and is likely part of the reasoning behind the criticism (by many reviewers) of the central character.

Viewers beware, it is not just her; all of the characters are irredeemable by viewing standards, irrespective of their roles, their contrived or harrowing backstories, or their philosophical beliefs. The plodding, not meditative, pace and heightened musical interludes offset a cast of worthless characters, characters that act dumb and/or emotionally as and when the script requires them to do so, for there really are no choices to be made.

Even one of the lighter, more relatable characters, the old, fat 'programmer' starts to wax poetical towards the end, standing in the hallway like the idiot he is determined to be. Should this cast of characters be what is left of humanity then extinction should be considered a godsend. Nothing lasts forever and perhaps that is as it should be.