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The government cover-up of the causes behind a massive explosion in a futuristic UK metropolis spur photo journalist Jennifer Preston on to search for the truth and in the process blow open a paranormal phenomenon haunting the city.
Director:
Alex Garcia LopezWriter:
John HarrisonStars:
Natalia Tena, Iwan Rheon, Tom Goodman-Hill |See full cast and crew »Storyline
An unnamed UK metropolis. The future. Renowned photojournalist JENNIFER PRESTON is
investigating the aftermath of a terrible explosion that ripped through the city on New Year's Eve.
Known simply as 'The Catastrophe', this shocking tragedy has left behind a festering wound. The
city is on edge, thousands have evacuated and a sprawling, militarized Quarantine Zone has been
erected around the epicentre of the blast. The 'QZ', as it becomes known, is a network of empty
buildings and abandoned streets, shrouded beneath clinical plastic and fenced in behind
impenetrable barricades. Heavily armed security units ensure that nobody goes in and nobody
comes out. As unexplained and increasingly bizarre acts of violence erupt across the city,
Jennifer begins to notice strange, ephemeral phantoms in her photographs. What begins as an
artistic documentation of The Catastrophe's lingering aftershock soon becomes an obsession with
'The Phenomenon' - a seeming paranormal phenomenon gripping the ..
investigating the aftermath of a terrible explosion that ripped through the city on New Year's Eve.
Known simply as 'The Catastrophe', this shocking tragedy has left behind a festering wound. The
city is on edge, thousands have evacuated and a sprawling, militarized Quarantine Zone has been
erected around the epicentre of the blast. The 'QZ', as it becomes known, is a network of empty
buildings and abandoned streets, shrouded beneath clinical plastic and fenced in behind
impenetrable barricades. Heavily armed security units ensure that nobody goes in and nobody
comes out. As unexplained and increasingly bizarre acts of violence erupt across the city,
Jennifer begins to notice strange, ephemeral phantoms in her photographs. What begins as an
artistic documentation of The Catastrophe's lingering aftershock soon becomes an obsession with
'The Phenomenon' - a seeming paranormal phenomenon gripping the ..
Movie Reviews
So. Where to start with this... I watched the edited down, film version of this, which is NOT THE VERSION TO WATCH... Watch the 3 part TV show version.
There are about 7 things I loved about this movie and about 3 things I didn't like. Hence the 7/10 rating.
Firstly the things I didn't like.
1. The script... This was obviously written by an American. Who literally has no understanding at all about how British people speak. This meant that some of the dialogue was clunky at best.
2. The script. Exposition central... It appears that the person who wrote this is all about tell, not show. How many narrative overlays do we need? It didn't work for Blade Runner. It doesn't work here. Stop telling us stuff. Show us stuff.
3. The script. Don't overwrite. Directors want to be able to do their thing. I wouldn't mind betting that in this script it was all locked down. IE. This person does that thing with this going on. Writers should have nothing whatsoever to do with direction..
OK... Those were the 3 things I didn't like... Here are the 7 things I really did like.
1. The locations... Brilliant. Really got us under the skin of the unknown city... It wasn't London.. Or was it.. It wasn't Tokyo... Or was it... This was done incredibly well. Whoever the location scout was. Good work.
2. The acting... Bad dialogue aside. The actors really gave their all. From the main cast to the bit-parts. Everyone involved in this really seemed like they cared about their work... Nothing really to fault.
3. The special effects... This cost less than £1m to make... On screen. It really looks a million dollars... Sure, there are some moments where it looks like a special effect... There are way more where it doesn't.. Great direction.
4. The camera work... For the budget. Brilliant lighting. Great tension is created by crafty use of the camera... From lights inside gas masks to show the actors faces, to homages to other films.. Which I'm coming to.
5. The nods to other films... I got Blade Runner. Eyes Wide Shut. The Shining. Prince of Darkness... It's obvious the guy who made this movie LOVES films... So for it's flaws. I love him.
6. Cinematography. It's hard to deny that this is a well shot piece. The way the camera moves is up there with the best of them. I watch so many low budget movies and they can only wish that they had the shooting talent this movie has. So outside of the script. The plot. Whatever as a piece of cinematography... Genuinely great.
7. The potential. This film is beautiful to look at. The atmosphere is constructed brilliantly, and it's easy to look past the lack of budget. This is a director trying to prove himself. By using the camera, and using it well, within the constraints. This can only be applauded.
So for those of you who like your art spoon-fed to you, or who think that the only film worth watching is a mega-bucks blockbuster... Be a bit more objective... The people involved in this have given you the best they can give... This shows...
OK. On effort alone I give it a 7/10... For the final product... I will probably give it a 5/10... But the version I'm reviewing gets a 7..
Watch this with an open mind... Look past it's pretty poor script... There is some real beauty here. I have highlighted it's flaws... And there will always be flaws with a cheaply made flick like this... I'm not one to be bitter about it though... I enjoyed the final product... There are way too many keyboard warriors out there.. The same people perhaps who thought Interstellar was a thing of genius.... It wasn't. It was a bookcase...
I can believe the world presented to me in this movie, far more than a magic, time-travelling bookcase... And love being the 5th dimension....
But each to their own, I guess.
There are about 7 things I loved about this movie and about 3 things I didn't like. Hence the 7/10 rating.
Firstly the things I didn't like.
1. The script... This was obviously written by an American. Who literally has no understanding at all about how British people speak. This meant that some of the dialogue was clunky at best.
2. The script. Exposition central... It appears that the person who wrote this is all about tell, not show. How many narrative overlays do we need? It didn't work for Blade Runner. It doesn't work here. Stop telling us stuff. Show us stuff.
3. The script. Don't overwrite. Directors want to be able to do their thing. I wouldn't mind betting that in this script it was all locked down. IE. This person does that thing with this going on. Writers should have nothing whatsoever to do with direction..
OK... Those were the 3 things I didn't like... Here are the 7 things I really did like.
1. The locations... Brilliant. Really got us under the skin of the unknown city... It wasn't London.. Or was it.. It wasn't Tokyo... Or was it... This was done incredibly well. Whoever the location scout was. Good work.
2. The acting... Bad dialogue aside. The actors really gave their all. From the main cast to the bit-parts. Everyone involved in this really seemed like they cared about their work... Nothing really to fault.
3. The special effects... This cost less than £1m to make... On screen. It really looks a million dollars... Sure, there are some moments where it looks like a special effect... There are way more where it doesn't.. Great direction.
4. The camera work... For the budget. Brilliant lighting. Great tension is created by crafty use of the camera... From lights inside gas masks to show the actors faces, to homages to other films.. Which I'm coming to.
5. The nods to other films... I got Blade Runner. Eyes Wide Shut. The Shining. Prince of Darkness... It's obvious the guy who made this movie LOVES films... So for it's flaws. I love him.
6. Cinematography. It's hard to deny that this is a well shot piece. The way the camera moves is up there with the best of them. I watch so many low budget movies and they can only wish that they had the shooting talent this movie has. So outside of the script. The plot. Whatever as a piece of cinematography... Genuinely great.
7. The potential. This film is beautiful to look at. The atmosphere is constructed brilliantly, and it's easy to look past the lack of budget. This is a director trying to prove himself. By using the camera, and using it well, within the constraints. This can only be applauded.
So for those of you who like your art spoon-fed to you, or who think that the only film worth watching is a mega-bucks blockbuster... Be a bit more objective... The people involved in this have given you the best they can give... This shows...
OK. On effort alone I give it a 7/10... For the final product... I will probably give it a 5/10... But the version I'm reviewing gets a 7..
Watch this with an open mind... Look past it's pretty poor script... There is some real beauty here. I have highlighted it's flaws... And there will always be flaws with a cheaply made flick like this... I'm not one to be bitter about it though... I enjoyed the final product... There are way too many keyboard warriors out there.. The same people perhaps who thought Interstellar was a thing of genius.... It wasn't. It was a bookcase...
I can believe the world presented to me in this movie, far more than a magic, time-travelling bookcase... And love being the 5th dimension....
But each to their own, I guess.
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0 Reviews