angieloveday

This is the first sci-fi movie to be produced in Costa Rica. As such, there are clear elements of low-budget set and prop construction but they are not so blatant as to distract from the experience.

It was an enjoyable movie although convoluted. The timeline jumped back and forth with flashbacks within flashbacks that didn't even seem important, but if you focus on the main timeline it works for the most part. However, it tried to include too many sci-fi premises at the same time (earth extinction threat, post-apocalyptic earth, sentient AI, space, man vs. Machine, science gone too far) that kept it from fully developing and grounding any of them. In that regard, don't trust the trailer. It isn't a "last man on earth trying to survive and rejoin his family in space" type of movie.

It had some moving scenes with commendable acting that were ineffective because the stakes weren't clear. They spoke of inevitable actions and consequences, meanwhile the audience was never let in on what the threat was at that moment. The perceived "threat" was constantly changing as the movie progressed (re: too many sci-fi premises at once).

It emulated mainstream sci-fi stories so don't go into it expecting a special LATAM twist or messaging within it, it just happens to have Costa Ricans living through the events with presumably the whole world going through the same experience. This isn't a point against nor in favor, just an aspect to consider.

Overall, it did surpass my expectations and I was immersed in the experience. At its core I believe the theme was that humanity is generally selfish in its quest to self-preservation but the effort of those who aren't can be enough to turn that around. Experience it as a whole and don't get hung up on the details because most of them won't matter, nor are they addressed, by the end.

Story wasn't super innovative but overall provided an easygoing plot. There were a few character reactions that seemed inconsistent but not overtly so. From a Costa Rican perspective it succeeded in showing a lot of aspects of culture and societal issues of the Caribbean coast BUT having the lead characters be foreigners drew away from it. The end was a bit loose but didn't bring down the merit of the rest of the story.

The movie itself present some very interesting themes and has a unique way of portraying them. Artistically, it deserves praise. It has a different style, focusing entirely on the protagonist, drowning out most other things and people. However, it is very slow. The plot never picks up and it's even difficult to follow transition between scenes and events. There is no relevant dialogue in the film, which is part of its artistic vision, but makes it quite easy to lose interest and get distracted while watching. The monotony described in the film summary is exactly all we see, making it quite boring to watch.