Directed by: Ruairi Robinson
Written by: Sydney J. Bounds (short story), Clive Dawson (screenplay)
Starring: Live Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Romola Garai, Olivia Williams
No Spoiler Synopsis:
A group of scientists on Mars discover a mysterious and terrifying force while collecting specimens. On the eve of their departure, an accident at one of the collection sites occurs, infecting one of them putting them all at risk.
Review:
Going into this movie I wasn’t entirely sure that to think. I’m not sure if that was because of my excitement to see Apollo 18 and my subsequent disappointment, or the fact that hadn’t really heard a lot about the film. I took notice of the stars in the film and was cautiously optimistic – and I have to tell you the movie was much better than I had expected.
From the synopsis, you can see the film takes place in space and the shots of Mars are quite fabulous. The artist responsible for the sets, whether they were done on a sound stage or CGI’d in after the fact, did an excellent job. There is a definite creepy atmosphere the spartan surface of the red planet adds to the overall isolation of the film’s setting. It does get inside your head and makes those moments of discovery even more terrifying.
The story is engaging and while I don’t want to give too much away, it does include aspects of one of my favourite sub-genres of horror and science fiction. The plot is somewhat believable but that arises from the fact that we simply don’t know what is out there. The performance by the actors involved is fantastic. I’ve been a fan of Koteas since I first saw him in Teeanage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and this role is simply made to fit his particular style of acting. The stand out performance goes to Romola Garai in my honest opinion. She played her character with such detached emotion it was breath-taking. I know detached emotion seems like an oxymoron, but that’s the best way to describe it. Does it deserve a watch? Absolutely. Chances are you will not be disappointed.
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