A Dark Matter

Sci-Fi and Film Noir is an interesting mix of genres. Terminator did it best, A Dark Matter has done it well too. It's just that the later is a slower ride revolving around darker characters rather than running from a futuristic machine. This is not a simple narrative, that sometimes reaches out to the likes of David Lynch. More recent David Cronenberg comes to mind too. Yet, here in may lie a little problem with A Dark Matter, whereas Lynch and Cronenberg movies massage our entertainment factor with nudity so they can tell their strange stories, A Dark Matter only teases us and still expects us to concentrate on the complex plot. Why don't we see Eve in the buff? This would at least bring some credibility to her somewhat stiff acting. How about the protagonist's girlfriend Laura? (Actually there is one scene where we get a glimpse, but not what we really want). This seems justified considering the amount of sex that moves the plot forward. Perhaps this is from a male's point of view, but I'm probably just saying what's on others' minds.

Indie movies are becoming more complex with deep subjects that trend to overtake the campy Hollywood simplistic "lowest common denominator" approach. A Dark Matter is one of these films. It's obvious every action and line is important to telling the story. The story, which questions our perception. In the hero's case, Angus' perception revolves around his everyday life relationships and his art work; painting. This is where the complexity begins. You have to watch carefully and upon a second viewing, I picked up so much more.

A Dark Matter delves into the mind of the artist. The classic double, black widow, murder and confusion set a film noir mystery that keeps us guessing until the end. The pay off isn't what you discover though, but the journey itself.

I really enjoyed this movie, although I don't' think it's for everyone – lowest common denominator it isn't as it still creeps into my mind.

This is a freaky story with some ideas that totally messed with my head. The music is great and really ties the story together. The first half hour or so is kind of a slow-burn while we get to know everyone. Even though the main characters are quite beautiful, the main guy seems like a pretty generic lead and the girl who plays Eve seems like she's reciting lines from a book. The main girlfriend was strangely good though. I really loved the secondary characters best. I think they made the ordinary world turn that much more crazy. For an independent movie, it looks pretty good and the special FX are simple enough that they aren't distracting. Once going, the story moves well, keeping us interested with twists and turns. It made me think, which is more than I can say for most Hollywood flicks.

James Naylor's original thriller, A Dark Matter, explores the psychomachy of our hero in a way that causes us to sit on the edge of our seats, begging to know what's next. It's a dark ride that plays on the use of narrative as intelligently as the early Twilight Zone series. Right when we think we know what's going on, the plot gets twisted. Beautifully shot with a cast of upcoming actors who greatly execute their lines. The love relationships between the actors seem genuine and nothing seems contrived. Even the minimal use of special effects seem top notch at a Hollywood level, putting us in a surreal Bunuel world and conjuring symbolism to further subplots, ever deepening our story. The result is a film with a great deal of thought that has gone into the story. I highly recommend this movie for all lovers of suspense, sci-fi and horror genres.