Just watched "Naked Singularity" with a friend. We enjoyed it, but it was definitely not what the poster promised. I was expecting some sort of indie sci-fi thriller, not a New York heist flick. Not sure this is even going to make its budget back. That said, Boyega is pretty good and Skarsgård is an absolute delight.
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Curtis G.16 August 2021
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SnoopyStyle3 March 2022Casi (John Boyega) is a public defender struggling within the justice machinery and battling cold-hearted Judge Cymbeline (Linda Lavin). His best friend Dane (Bill Skarsgård) is a prosecutor. Tow impound clerk Lea (Olivia Cooke) is offered a bribe from Craig (Ed Skrein). It leads to a minivan secretly filled with $millions of drugs.
This is a crime thriller. Going to the cops is a mistake (for the story). It doesn't make sense that the drug is still in the van. The cops would bring some drug sniffing dogs. Leave the cops out of this. There is a lot of little problems like that. When the bidding goes that high, somebody would have figured something's up. Otherwise, this has some fun quirkiness but it does need more. I do like these actors. It's trying to be a crime thriller but the writing needs to be better. -
Smarmelade14 August 2021I haven't had any preconceptions about this movie from it's trailer.
But in the end it's a solid movie. Interesting premise, a little silly in execution but all in all - a fun easygoing movie with fun characters.
Yeah, there's some cheap philosophy but it's not anything of importance. Boyega is good in this, Bill Skarsgard as well, everyone was.
Really don't get the low score from some people. Is it some drama, review bombing? Who the f knows and cares, it's a solid, fun small movie, watch it. -
ferguson-65 August 2021Greetings again from the darkness. After co-writing the screenplay (adapted from the Stephen King book) for the box office horror hit IT (2017), Chase Palmer gets his first opportunity to direct a feature film. He also co-wrote this screenplay with David Matthews, as the two have adapted the 2008 novel "A Naked Singularity" by Sergio De La Pava. Think of it as a meaning-of-life science fiction comedy drama heist film that critiques the justice system. You know what they say about trying to be all things to all people. But it does get bonus points for trying hard!
John Boyega (Finn in the STAR WARS movies) stars as Casi, a Public Defender who is exasperated with the NYC criminal court system. Casi is overworked and underpaid, and his heart of gold and frumpy suit matter little in his courtroom clashes with Judge Cymbeline (Linda Lavin, "Alice"), who thrives on antagonizing and baiting the young attorney. Casi's early idealism has faded and now he's just fed up, looking for a way out. The talented Olivia Cooke (SOUND OF METAL, 2020) co-stars as Lea, a bored clerk at a city impound lot. Lea is a previous client of Casi's and they cross paths again when his lawyer friend Dane (Bill Skarsgard, Pennywise in IT) passes along a file for her latest case.
There are basically three stories going on here: First, Casi is (unsuccessfully) fighting the bias in the halls of justice. Second, there is a weird glitch in the matrix, referred to as a "ripple" by Casi's stoner friend Angus (Tim Blake Nelson), who works out physics problems on the wall of his apartment. And third, there is a botched drug deal featuring creepy hoodlum Craig (Ed Skrein, DEADPOOL, 2016), who has dragged Lea right into his web of crime. Of course, Lea already had a criminal record, and she's frustrated that the system penalizes her for the past ... leaving her with lousy options for employment. She's too is looking for a way out.
As the film begins, director Palmer includes a quote from Candide: "If this is the best possible world, what then are the others?" This goes directly to the dreamers - those who imagine escaping their situation, and those who imagine making it better. Act 3 becomes a heist film, but we miss out on the fun part, as the planning just seems to happen. When the big day arrives, some things go right, and some things go wrong. Mostly, it's an unrealistic chain of events that involves every character listed above, plus The Golem (Kyle Mooney) as the leader of the drug-dealing Hasidic Jews, a couple of NYC Detectives, and a Mexican cartel boss, who raises eyebrows outbidding Craig for the Navigator where the drugs are stashed. It seems fairly likely that Lincoln contributed to the film's production since "Navigator" is mentioned numerous times.
Director Palmer utilizes a countdown to the big event ... assuming the "ripple" wouldn't be considered a bigger event ... and that provides the odd pacing for the film. Also odd is the inclusion of a Popeye Doyle reference, when it's quite unlikely that these characters would be familiar with THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Additionally, it's the unnatural dialogue and the wedged-in social commentary that come across as misplaced. Comparing being poor to slavery in a five second scene makes it appear the goal was to fit in as many social issues as possible within a 90 minute run time. Sometimes weird is interesting. Sometimes it's just weird. Sometimes it's just kind of meh.
Screen Media will release NAKED SINGULARITY in select theaters on August 6th as well as opening wide and on demand August 13th, 2021. -
imdbbonfiresky12 April 2021Paid too much to see this at the SFFILM Festival Fort Mason Drive-in Premiere on 4/9/2021. My first "Cinema" experience since pre covid. Had a lot of star power and of actors I like.
Pros. The acting was great, some stylish cinematography.
Really enjoyed seeing Tim Blake Nelson as the stoner philosopher
Cons: Messy directing. Too fast paced for it's own good. I did not care for the outcome of any single character in this movie. Honestly the plot was just not that good. It almost tries to become a different movie half way through with fast paced editing and split screen oceans eleven/mission impossible split screen heist style pacing. The build up made no sense. The climax made no sense. When the closing scene came on I was like wait. That's it?
I had no emotion at the end of the movie, no deep thoughts about any character, and wondering what did I just watch.
If the plot was more developed/more clever and running time extended where you could connect and start caring for any of the characters. It would have been a better film?
Perhaps this is aimed at the add Ritalin nation? Wait to watch this on tv. -
Gordon-1128 August 2021The film is very dull and boring. Poor story telling, poor acting, and poor character development. Avoid.
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nogodnomasters15 August 2021The film is far more of a court-crime-drama than the science fiction title leads on. The production centers on Casi (John Boyega) a public defender who complains that the criminal justice system is broken, yet it appears he is part of the problem. Casi's friend (Tim Blake Nelson) claims there is going to be a space-time ripple and the recent blackouts are a symptom. The movie reminds us an what day it will happen. Lea (Olivia Cooke) works for the court system and like Casi is not above reproach. Her boyfriend Craig sort of (Ed Skrein) needs to get an SUV out of the pound, one that is loaded with heroin. We discover he believes that certain people, like the Queen of England are Reptoids. The heroin belongs to the Mexican Cartel who dress like Hasidic Jews. As silly as all this sounds, it was not a funny comedy.
I was not impressed with the low budget ripple. Or if there even was one, which may be the point. I didn't like the characters who seemed lifeless in the film.
Guide: F-word. Sex. No nudity. -
tomsawyer-0185814 August 2021Usually, movies get a very high rating from the first hundreds, because a lot of people involved want to support it in an unfair exaggerated way.
How many times I've been fooled...
Now why would people want to sink a movie in an exaggerated way?
3 Stars average, you must be kidding.
This is not a kind of Zombie Strip film...
I didn't expect much and I was entertained by almost every scene.
No scene is boring, they all have that little spice.
The dialogues are well developed and aimed to a purpose, not that fast cool urban slang talking that make no sense, used so often lately to hide the lack of reasoning of the writers.
The characters are well drawn, all of them, even the 2nd and 3rd roles.
Acting is top, from everybody, and Olivia Cooke is handsome and sexy like never before. She's one of my favourite actresses, now, because by this movie, I finally will remember her name, now.
About the story, its not what I really like to watch, drugs and money, and I found myself taken along by an extremely well-paced movie, where I did never check my watch.
That is pretty rare in these days of mindless Netflix monopoly.
Thank you for that.
Last but not least : the movie made me buy the book.
Yes, it's all true, about the machine ... -
jodygreen2122 August 2021Script and storyline not that great.
The movie is pretty average. -
nwsabir14 August 2021This is not a 3.9 movie (the rating it has when I am writing), the reviewers have been too harsh.
Has some cool social commentary, good acting and John Boyega seemed like a young Danzel Washington, maybe a project in the making.
Watch it and don't trust the rating. -
Jim_Screechy15 August 2021At no time was I comfortable watching this movie and experienced only fleeting moments of entertainment while watching it. I stuck with it for just over an hour hoping that it would gain momentum, but upon the sudden realization that I wasn't actually enjoying it, I gave up.
The acting is pretty good though the film gives the sensation of being fast paced, I noticed after a while it was the dialogue which gave this false impression; so much so that I was thrown from the tracks of conversation in several places due to the rapid fire exchanges that were taking place.
The story is a bit of a 'Mashup' of ideas and situations that haven't been blended together well enough, and the incongruity it produces does not lend well to the screenplay. It is good in places but lacks the harmony to bring it together as an enjoyable piece.
I was a little at odds after throwing in the towel, since I did want to like it and feel if it had been done slightly differently, it would have been a good movie. I feel a little guilty for giving it 3/10 but not being able to make it to the end means it can't get 5, and the other issues with it made it essentially unpalatable.
I don't think I'm being overly critical and in fairness, not everyone will find this as awkward to view as I did, so I can see it getting as much as 6 from individuals tolerant of a little chaos. I would suggest the higher ratings (and I've seen a few here) are less than genuine. Sorry just can't recommend it.
Hope this helps. -
StrayFeral26 September 2021I had no idea what to expect, never read the novel and the trailer was nice. In short:
What I disliked: The movie confused me at few places, but these are probably explained in the novel? No idea. This whole singularity idea is confusing me - is he dreaming? Are those all parallel universes?
What I liked: Minimum violence. I actually loved that. There is some violence, but mostly shot nearly old-school - not much blood. Not much bullets either. Usually I dislike the lack of bullets, but in this case I consider it a nice change. There is a nice narrative too. I don't think actors played bad, I liked it. And overall I liked the movie.
Not the best thriller I've seen, but it was a time spent well. -
supermellowcali16 August 2021This story is pretty whimsical but I think the actors and good quality production make it watchable. I can't tell why the terrible ratings by some... I've recently seen much worse.
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LordCommandar29 September 2021Once again reviews are skewered calling decent films rotten and rotten films good. For what it was, Naked Singularity is a solid one time watch. A little bit of drama, suspense and a drop of sci-fi, gave the story enough umph to sit and watch to the end. The negatives reviews are truly misleading. The cast did a fine job in their characters and it's always good and positive to see a male black actor playing a lead role as a straight man and nothing weirdoish. Really tired of seeing the weirdos. It's Tuesday evening and because I stopped doing theater years ago paying for tickets and canceled all my TV subscriptions, with downloading from torrents if a film just so happens to be trash (but not this one) only my time is wasted....enjoy. A solid one time watch.
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nyvlem716 September 2021When you are promised a world-ending of civilization as we know it and a collapse of all systems, be prepared to be very disappointed.
Writers tried to mix a heist/outsmart criminals with nerdy scifi and failed greatly.
If it was only a heist/outsmart criminals, it might be better as you'd have more time for character development, but this movie was ridiculous. -
ops-5253514 August 2021Is my first though after viewing ''naked singularity''. Yes , its an easy story and a easy plot, but the black comedy and irony including the metaphysical draw you feel from staying at the rim of a black hole, gives you the laughs you need to forget every serious thing in life, because its that kind of feeling i get in a roller coaster, you can either scream or laugh, cause the singularity wont let you loose till its over.
So do give this ''law'' drama a chance, cause ill consider this a good idea to make a film over, its shallow but entertaining, the actingare very nice, and its like ringing a tubular bell when considering the choice of score, you wont forget the chimes and rythm of it all. So a seven stars from the grumpy old man. -
kurtisbeacroft17 August 2021Messy, boring, drivel and Boyega still cannot act. I gave up half way through.
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chris-h-318 August 2021I enjoyed this film, wasn't quite sure where it was going but it has interesting characters and a plot that doesn't involve superhero or terrorists.
It is a bit messy though, I'm not sure what the 'science/sci fi' elements are supposed to add to the film and ultimately they really just don't add up to anything. The cast were all good though it did seem from the dialogue that John Boyega's part may have been written for someone else, some of things said to him didn't match his appearance in the film, this was a bit odd and confusing and I thought perhaps would be a sub plot, which it seems it wasn't.
Ultimately I mostly enjoyed it as something different, I'd be interested to read the book its based on to see if that makes more sense of the 'genre bending' plot. -
ham-ma24212 October 2021I boost this strong 7-8 movie, just so more people would give it a shot. It's a movie about life situations that might push you to start questioning your morals or even your existence but put into a pretty simple plot for a heist/thriller.
The atmosphere was great, acting was nice. For me at least at first this seemed like a thriller but it slowly deteriorated into a pace of a drama-ish. This movie also brings up points about the system and reptilians being in charge of that system. Also other subliminal messages in the movie. But yeah I'd recommend this movie, it's a pretty interesting twist with the mix up of the genres. -
myignisrules18 August 2021Naked Singularity is one of those movies you don't realize you're enjoying until you do. I know, sounds weird but I'm pretty certain I'm not the only one who's ever found themselves watching a movie that starts off pretty bare bones and simplistic, to the point where you're only paying it half of your attention. But somewhere between the likeable cast and the story that seems to be one thing but slowly becomes something else, you find yourself completely pulled into this world.
Starring John Boyega (Attack the Block, Star Wars Parts 7-9) as a young public defender whose big heart and disillusionment for the system he's forced to work inside of, gets him into trouble more often than not. One day he's requested to defend a past client Lea played by Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One, Sound of Metal) who has gotten herself in trouble once more, this time with possibly deadly consequences due to her relationship with small time drug dealer Craig (Ed Skrein - Deadpool, Game of Thrones) who wants her to use her job at the police impound lot to get a car out for him that has millions of dollars of drugs hidden inside it. With the help of his slimy but loveable friend Dane (Bill Skarsgard - It Chapters 1 & 2) they devise a plan to steal the car for themselves and hopefully not get killed in the process.
Now I know this synopsis makes it sound like a comedy heist type movie and on a certain level, this is what first time director and screen writer Chase Palmer is going for, but as a whole Naked Singularity is more wish fulfillment than anything else. It's about those dreams we have for a better life, if we had the money and the means to make them happen. Some of these characters like Dane and Lea want better lives for themselves, while Boyega's character Casi wants the chance to finally give the poor and down trodden people he represents in court, a real shot at fair justice. Take for instance his first case. He has to represent a Chinese man who doesn't speak any English and he's been detained for selling (of all things) batteries illegally. We're not talking car batteries here but simply the Duracell/Energizer ones. Because he doesn't speak the language this poor man doesn't know how to defend himself and because of this and a very apathetic judge played by Linda Lavin (The Good Wife/Alice) he's being kept in jail seemingly indefinitely. It's a case that's ridiculous as it is sadly true and due to Boyega's solid performance, the frustration and tiredness his character feels will resonate with you the viewer.
The first and second acts of this movie play almost like a straight up drama and sadly this may be to the movie's detriment. For those going in expecting Lucky Logan or Ocean's 11, this slow unfolding of events may allow for the characters to grow on you, but it also takes away from the energy needed to keep viewers invested. Thankfully Boyega anchors the movie well and you can tell his co-stars are feeding off what he's putting out. It might not be enough for most, but if you're anything like me and you stick it out to the final act, Naked Singularity sticks the landing and delivers the kind of wish fulfillment ending that makes watching movies worthwhile.
The title may sound like science fiction but the cosmic notion of one world where the good guys win is something we can all get behind and for that alone I'm recommending giving this one a go. -
This could have been something pretty awesome, but the movie is just decent. Feels closer to direct-to-video caliber than theatrical. Additionally, it doesn't really know what it wants to be. A movie about the broken justice system? A crime drama? A heist film? Or something sci-fi as the title suggests?
This is by no means a bad movie. There were parts I enjoyed and I was invested in the story. But overall it's mediocre. It doesn't have that oomph. (1 viewing, 2/9/2022) -
srussell123414 October 2021Yeah - is is from theoretical physics - and no - the movie has nothing to do with it. In fact the movie has really nothing to do with anything vaguely interesting.
Save your time - read a physics book. -
kwenchow17 September 2021This film start with the main character "Casi" talking about his work, and he talking with his client scene! As turnout, this film is about a lawyer "Casi" decide to rob a drug dealer "Craig"'s money! Entire film full of boring conversation, and annoying overuse scene! Such as, overuse of the walking scene, overuse of the searching scene, overuse of the driving scene, overuse of the arguing scene, overuse of the calling names scene, overuse of the staring scene, overuse of the talking on the phone scene, overuse of the hallucinate scene, overuse of the taking drug scene, overuse of the drinking scene, overuse of the eating scene, overuse of the court trial scene, overuse of the interrogate scene, and overuse of the changing camera angle scene! Make the film unwatchable! At the end, Casi killed Craig, and split the money with Lea, and Dane! That's it! Wasting time to watch!
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Dr_Graham_Barkley_OBE14 January 2022Why are all modern films sterile, safe or just unwatchable rubbish? I literally couldn't finish watching this!
Let me tell you a story. I was once in Howletts Zoo park near Canterbury in Kent, SE England. I saw a gorilla throw up. I then saw another gorilla examine the vomit and start consuming the choice parts of it. Little did I realise that years later modern films would repeatedly remind me of this event. It's flipping bonkers when you have to look back to yesterdays films to be properly entertained. Flipping bonkers I tell yer! -
eidolongrey18 August 2021There is no doubt that all of the acting talent in this film put in good performances. Skarsgård, as always impressed & Olivia Cooke, a girl from my own neck of the woods, is proving herself to be one to watch. John Boyega leads well, though the film skips over why he is so passionate about protecting the underdog.
This is really where the story is lacking; Tim Blake Nelson does a wonderful job of not caricaturing a stoner-genius-shut in, but what does the Singularity element have to do with the story..? Boyega & Skarsgård wax lyrical about philosophy, but it mainly feels like scriptwriter's pasting over a weakly constructed build.
If Skarsgård had been allowed to over-do it with the obvious risk taking flaws of his character; Boyega more broken by the system he's trying to serve (or the people he's trying to save) then we could have had a funnier darker film.
An attempt to be clever undermined the piece as a whole. Still enjoyable, but disappointing with the potential they had on offer.