its the cinematography. that's a spoiler free commentary from 2 years ago comparing Andor and other disney Star Wars. the distinction is severe.
it's immediate in the first episode, where so much of star wars direction is giving these omnicient views of a floating observer pushing in to the dialogue or action, Gilroy will use an establishing shot sometimes, but mostly puts and keeps the viewer at ground level as a person, in the world. it focuses on the immediate, real/practical features that a human would notice. as a viewer you're there in the scene with the subjects, and now subjected to the larger world with its towering institutions and oppression on Coruscant or wherever.
everything else builds on this foundation.
the bright lights overhead of Morlana One heading towards the brothel. on Aldhani, it was literally the first star wars anything that made tie fighters seem terrifying. before that they were just the goofy shape of the bad guy spaceships that have a knack for being blown to shit. Gilroy made just one seem like the thing that would rip a whole in your community.
