Summary:
A father and daughter struggle to survive in deep space.
My Thoughts:
The more films I see with Robert Pattinson (“Good Time”) the more impressed I am. In the past, Pattinson has gotten a bad rap because of his roles in the “Twilight” series, but since that series has ended, the young actor has gone on to prove he can really steal a scene. I also think Juliette Binoche (“Chocolat”, “Cache”) is one of the greatest working actresses today, and Mia Goth (“Suspiria (2018)”) has caught my attention with a few of her recent performances. I’m also a sucker for indie sci-fi films that wrestle with existential themes (think Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” or more recently “Under the Skin”), so honestly it was just a matter of time before I sat down to watch this, and I’m thrilled I did.
“What do you know about cruelty?”
While I don’t think this film will appeal to many mainstream audiences, I do think that the arthouse cinema crowd will really gravitate to this. One of the main reasons I think this film is struggling with more mainstream audiences is the structure. This film is all over the place in terms of story- there isn’t much of a linear narrative at all- and it can, at times, be difficult to follow. There are moments when we only see glimpses of images and we’re not given any information as to their meaning until later. There are a lot of scenes that contain things that aren’t explained at all, or if they are explained, the most important details are left murky and vague.
The way that this story pans out, by unveiling things slowly, really helps to draw in the viewer. I was always asking myself what was happening with certain things on the ship or characters that populated it; I was always trying to figure out more about the inner workings of the experiments being performed upon people; and I was always curious as to why this mission needed to be undertaken in the first place. I’m glad that very few of my questions were answered; it makes this film feel much bigger, more nebulous. In answering very few questions about the technical aspects of the ship or mission, the mission itself takes on layers of metaphor, while also becoming all the more frightening. The things that are happening on this ship are strange, particularly the experiments that Binoche’s character is conducting; I can honestly say some of the ideas that are brought to screen in this film are wholly original and unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
I loved the cinematography in this film. There were a few different aspect ratios that were used throughout the movie; some of those ratios were used to show flashbacks, others were used to show different locations, and others were used to show the epicness of the universe. I thought the whole thing was very inventive, especially since its obvious this movie was made for a relatively low budget. Most of this movie is just filmed in hallways or small rooms that look similar to those you’d see in hospitals, but the way that the movie was shot (with minimal and stylized lighting) helped to bring the sets to life. Yes, this movie does still take a little suspension of disbelief- don’t expect the special effects to match that of “Interstellar”. This is a much smaller, much more personal sci fi film, but it still manages to convey a sense of grand scope.
I think everyone did a great job as far as acting is concerned. Robert Pattinson once again continues to impress me, Juliette Binoche and Mia Goth both held their own, and all of the supporting characters did a fine job as well. This film demands some pretty intense acting moments; there are some really disturbing situations, both sexually and violently. I honestly was not expecting this film to have as many uncomfortable moments as it did, nor was I expecting this film to contain as much sexual imagery or discussion as it did. Still, it was not without reason; the violent and sexual imagery in this movie is all used purposefully, and it is used in an expert fashion to craft the grim, almost hopelessly horrific atmosphere.
Verdict:
I really enjoyed this film, but I cannot imagine the average moviegoer would care too much for it. If you enjoy arthouse films, then you should probably give this a shot- it has some wonderfully meditative themes, some great performances, and a completely original story. But if you only go to the movies to see the latest Marvel flick, I can almost guarantee you’ll think this movie weird and probably a little messed up.
Review Written By: