After We Leave

I'm not one to slam new filmmakers, but newb writer, director and producer Aleem Hossain should've had a seasoned screenwriter go over his script.

The premise of the story was decent, but there was too much filler and very little substance. The ridiculously long and unnecessary near-still camera shots got annoying very fast. The plot and technical issues were very evident. Not even taking the slow pacing into account, the lack of substance made this 82 min run-time feel like almost 3 hours. This film needed to be a short, or a 1 hour TV length. What's worse, was Hossain's attempt for a plot twist at the end that was a huge fail, and gave this film that generic dumb ending you see in many cheap b-grade films.

Aside from the long dragged out scenes, Hossain's directing and camera work was ok for a newb, although the few action scenes had terrible choreography and poor camera angles. The cinematography and color choice needed to be much better. Even for a low budget indie film, the sci-fi should've been more apparent than a few CGI moments. Without those, you'd think the timeline was the 1980's. Although the score was quite fitting and impressive for a b-grade film, sadly, the sound was terrible especially during the action sequences e.g. gun fire. The acting was the main highlight of this film.

This film is not anything close to a 10, but certainly undeserving of any 1 and 2's. Cutting some slack for new filmmakers, I'm giving this film a generous 5/10.

I watched this film at the Berlin SciFi film festival and enjoyed it pretty much! It's a slow paced drama, so don't watch it if your brain can't handle something more complicated than "Sharknado". I wish there were more scifi movies like this. Movies that make you think instead of giving you a headache. If something likes this bores you, then maybe you shouldn't watch dramas. Go watch your "Transformers" and "Avengers" crap. I can't believe, people are giving this film 1-star-reviews. No wonder we are getting punished with bull**it like "Rise of Skywalker" or "Star Trek Beyond".

This is one for movie-buffs and also for those with a few extra brain cells that have not been desensitized by dumb Hollywood. Although the basic premise is a simple one - futuristic dystopian Earth, run both by big business and small-town mafia, the story actually transcends a Sci-Fi to become more of a human drama and a tough-guy personal story of self-revealing. Though slow-paced there is a sort of genius in the way the screenplay slowly reveals personalities and their histories, like one of the slit-lanterns gradually uncovering the light and truth, with plenty of imagination and nuance, not only towards the audience but also to "solitary John", the central, hard-man character. There were so many opportunities to let violence rip and become cliché - but even this is disciplined and controlled, with some fulfillment in the dramatic conclusion. I'm sure that Aleem Hossain will make it big in future endeavors, provided he sticks to his principles.

I was very taken by this subversive, slow-burn sci-fi about immigration and the Haves and Have-Nots. It has a well-executed, almost noir aesthetic (shot by Destroyer's Julie Kirkwood), solid acting, strong editing, and an excellent, brooding score. As a first feature filmmaker, Aleem Hossain has shown amazing potential with what he can do on a tiny budget. And seeing how many awards the film picked up at sci-fi festivals, it's clear the tastemakers agree this film is a noteworthy addition to the genre. Its ponderous tone may not be for the action-loving crowd - it's more Kelly Reichardt than James Cameron - but if you like thoughtful SF, definitely check it out.

The ending to this film was just bad. A twist that failed to contort into anything of worth.

It had an ok premise and lofty aspirations as an Indy film, but It just couldn't hit any of the marks. The storyline was predictable for all the bad reasons. The script lacked any punch. Visual effects were nonexistent and the acting was wooden at best.

Hossain is not a good director. He fails to bring the viewer into a future in any meaningful way. As has been noted elsewhere, the film looks set in the late 20th century. Nothing hints at when this takes place where space colonization would be commonplace.

Action scenes in this were just...lacking with subpar choreography and bad framing. So much more could have been done. The only positive is the soundtrack but even that gets bludgeoned with careless audio editing and low levels.

Watching this was a mistake. I should have read a book!