Undergods

The oddest thing about this film to me was how heavily it borrowed from Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into The Future. A whole section of it was almost a straight lift from Bruegel and Mahler cruising the ruins in search of lucrative deposits to be cashed in at Nightingales Body Bank. This couldn't have been an accident, as the end theme music was almost identical. Elsewhere it was a hotchpotch of borrowed themes, probably starting at Eraserhead and working its way through any number of long-forgotten dark films and TV episodes.

Of the cast, only Johann Myers was immediately recognisable to me, from his underplayed yet still chilling role as David Harewood's enforcer in the truly terrifying Criminal Justice. One or two others looked vaguely familiar, probably having bit-parts in The Bill in the 1980s. This didn't matter, as no stars were needed or even wanted in this film, for which the main requirement was to invest in the project with the slightly bewildered detachment required to pull it off. The party scene was strangely reminiscent of the currently popular style of many TV comedies, which instead of good old-fashioned jokes, rely on provoking feelings of extreme embarrassment and discomfort.

The film itself seems to have come to life in a strange and unusual way, being an Estonian project but using a mixture of British and European actors with National Lottery Funding. I thought the original Max Headroom film was a ground breaking classic, but I can't make my mind up whether it being flattered in this way should be viewed in a positive or negative way. I can't even make my mind up whether being a homage to one of my favourite films made me mark it up or down.

Good looking, in a gloomy sort of way, short stories cleverly and randomly connected to each other. It's very well directed and acted without any real focal point other than the future looks mighty grim. It's a somewhat hypnotic film that offers many impressive visuals, but they are nearly all dark, violent, depressing or evil. I can't say I "enjoyed" it, but it is an interesting, cheerless, and somewhat miserable journey.

I once read a John le Carré novel in which, early in the action, a spy, who was gut-shot and bleeding out on someone's carpet, was first and foremost profoundly apologetic about the mess, more than he was concerned with his own demise. Carré painted this as a quintessentially English approach to being in a state of profound distress. I must say: a fair enough stereotype, at least in those awkward cases where the carpet might be antique, and even for the aspirational masses too.

During the first ten minutes of this movie, I wasn't sure if I was watching something good. If you watch you'll see why--although the acting was really great then and throughout. Things were just so uncomfortable, inhibited, and so obviously sure to turn out badly in a predictable way. However, suddenly the movie took various hard, unexpected, and pleasantly intriguing turns. The slow start became, for me, canvas and backdrop to some actual stories. What ensued was actually pretty interesting and unpredictable.

Ultimately, despite the uncomfortably dystopian mess it drops on your proverbial carpet, this film owes you no apologies beyond the naked grotesqueness of it's own dark, forlorn, and pathological message. To me it's quite the interesting, last-minute suicide note of the languishing English soul.

My final verdict: well acted, interestingly plotted, very stark and dystopian, and it even offers a bit of futurist s/f backed up by completely convincing special effects. Absolutely worthy of a watch.

First and foremost, acting is good and directing is excellent. So it has a solid foundation. The story is an anthology that loosely threads together tales of suffering manifesting within different environments. I'm still unsure if I enjoyed it. Perhaps some films are not meant to be merely enjoyed but to arouse contemplation. Either way, I'm interested to see what Chino Moya makes in the future, provided there is one.

Cinematography and visual effects: stunning.

Wardrobe and backdrops/sets: jaw-dropping perfection (I wanted much more of the crumbling dystopian cityscapes).

Casting and performances: exceptional.

Music/score: on point.

Directing and camera angles/shots: great (especially for a newb).

The overall feel and tone as a dark dystopian science-fiction fantasy: outstanding.

Newb filmmaker Chino Moya certainly is a visionary, and sharing his breathtaking vision through his eyes was a huge success. His style and design of the film is to be admired and marveled at.

But his writing was rather dull and random, with stories that don't go anywhere, feel disconnected, and have an uneven narrative that made them feel incoherent. I do get his many dark-humor satirical metaphors, and although ambitious, the underwhelming domestic anthology dramas leave you with more questions than answers. His stories had plenty of style, but not much substance, and what was under the surface, needed much finessing and attention.

Overall, there were so many brilliant qualities to Moya's feature film, that it would shame some seasoned filmmakers recent films. I just wish his screenplay was just as great. Nevertheless, a must watch for dystopian/sci-fi fans, even if just for the atmosphere and visuals.