science fiction

The Successes And Failures In Adapting I AM LEGEND
The Successes & Failures In Adapting I AM LEGEND

Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel I Am Legend has been adapted to the screen three times- but have any of the cinematic adaptations effectively translated the source material? Zac Hestand finds out.

ANNIHILATION: Alex Garland's Ex-Machina Follow-up Is A Divisive Disappointment
ANNIHILATION: Alex Garland’s Ex Machina Follow-up Is A Divisive Disappointment

Annihilation is best viewed as a trip deep into an otherworldly house of horrors, offering a deliberately illogical twist on the formula of horror movie storytelling.

MUTE: A Dour Disappointment From Duncan Jones & Netflix

Mute is riddled with unoriginal elements, from the Blade Runner inspired visuals to the generic missing persons story, to the underdeveloped characters; it is a misfire on all accounts.

Time Crisis: PRIMER
Time Crisis: PRIMER

With an intricate and complicated plot but also delving deep into themes of identity and self, Shane Carruth’s Primer is the quintessential modern time travel film.

THE CURED: A Smart Reinvention Of The Zombie Horror Subgenre
THE CURED: A Smart Reinvention Of The Zombie Horror Subgenre

The Cured is a fantastic zombie film with intelligent writing, precision direction, top-tier acting, and sincere sociopolitical themes and parallels that are essential in elevating horror films to something greater than just scares and gore.

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE: A (Mostly) Fond Farewell
MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE: A (Mostly) Fond Farewell

Maze Runner: The Death Cure wraps up the series nicely, and despite any plotholes, it doesn’t completely fall apart. With this genre producing so many duds in recent years, there are worse concepts to spend your time enduring.

THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX: Inventive Marketing Doesn't Help This Generic Space Thriller
THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX: Inventive Marketing Doesn’t Help This Generic Space Thriller

The Cloverfield Paradox is helped along through a clever use of viral marketing, but it’s not enough to save an otherwise generic and messy sci-fi thriller.

JUPITER'S MOON: Muddled Messiah Tale Has Its Moments
JUPITER’S MOON: Muddled Messiah Tale Has Its Moments

A frenetic, fantastical but frustrating piece of work, Jupiter’s Moon will be remembered not for its rather woolly handling of serious subject matter, but for a couple of excellent performances, and the stunning images and sequences.

THE LAST JEDI & The Failure Of Masculinity
THE LAST JEDI & The Failure Of Masculinity

The Last Jedi is a polarizing film, but looking deeper into Rian Johnson’s vision you will find some potent themes, including the failures of masculinity.

DEVIL'S GATE: Admirable Pieces, But Short Of A Complete Picture
DEVIL’S GATE: Admirable Pieces, But Short Of A Complete Picture

Devil’s Gate frustratingly flirts with greatness- however, director Clay Staub’s genre mash-up is too uneven to sustain the entirety of its running time.

Time Crisis: THE TIME MACHINE (1960)

In this series, we will be examining various films in the seminal genre of time travel. To start, we look at George Pal’s The Time Machine, the most famous adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel.

Actor Profile: Oscar Isaac

Though only really breaking out as a star with 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis, Oscar Isaac has quickly made a name for himself, starring in prominent sci-fi franchises, award-worthy dramas, and lesser-known indies.

WORLD OF TOMORROW 2: Loses The Interstellar, Keeps The Stellar
WORLD OF TOMORROW 2: Loses The Interstellar, Keeps The Stellar

A sequel to an earlier short, Don Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow 2 has just as much ambition as its predecessor, with astounding animation, voice acting, and an overall worldview of existential pessimism.

DOWNSIZING: Grand Potential Is Lost Through Miniaturized Scope
DOWNSIZING: Grand Potential Is Lost Through Miniaturized Scope

Despite some wonderfully imaginative special effects, Downsizing falls short due to its unfocused nature, an underdeveloped love story, and some feeble attempts at social satire.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: A Flawed Addition to the Saga
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: A Flawed Addition To The Saga

If you are looking for the best film of the saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is not the film you are looking for.