The Beyond

I found the film to be very interesting despite having flaws and a pretty slow pace. If you are someone who needs constant action and drama, then this film is probably not for you. I'm not the type of person who typically cares as much for the more artistic visual side of a film (as it's usually more about the plot for me)...but I will say that it seems the visuals were done by some pretty talented people. I'm assuming it's pretty low budget so a great job was done in that department. The acting was also pretty decent too...not amazing but definitely decent with the dialogue they had to work with. Overall the film isn't going to blow anyone's mind, but if you don't have A.D.D. and can handle a slower pace you might just be intrigued by the mystery presented in this film.

When an anomaly is detected in space and a possible alien life force makes its presence felt on earth the worlds best scientists take to finding a solution.

For some reason I took to the reviews on this one, I searched for the word "Propaganda" as I had a sneaking suspicion that some people might consider this movie as such. Let me be clear, it's not.

What I did find however was a lot of criticism over the films science aspects which I find rather laughable as this is a science fiction movie for crying out loud!

Filmed entirely in the form of a documentary its an interesting creature but certainly not for anyone seeking action. This is a very slow paced movie and considering the subject matter and the documentary approach that's how it needed to be.

The concept is a solid one, the sfx are ropey but passable but sadly the film isn't without its flaws. It struggled to engage me, the cast were very underwhelming and though the finale was great it's also very unintentionally depressing despite trying to be hopeful.

The Beyond is niche, I appreciate what they've done and totally understand how many will love it. On the flipside (And based on the reviews) I can also see why many hate it, though they clearly went in expecting something different altogether.

Want aliens, laser battles and action? This isn't for you.

The Good:

Strong message

Some nice ideas

The Bad:

Several plot holes

Drags, probably would have made a better short

Lots of potential wasted here. There are neat cgi and cyber-human tech but the writing is ploddingly dull and inept. I was constantly being snapped out of suspension-of-disbelief by words used incorrectly, either miswritten or not picked up by the director editor.

Mysteries are perplexing, not complexing. Things that live forever are immortal, not mortal. You rose through the rank, you didn't 'rised'.

And everyone is so faux detached and pseudoscientific. Little or no emotional connection to or from anybody.

Dull as a congressional hearing.

Before coming to the IMDb to write my own user comments for "The Beyond", I had a feeling there would be a sharp divide in the opinions people before me wrote. I was correct - some people liked the movie, but there were other that despised it. Though I am one of the people that liked the movie, at the same time I will admit that it isn't perfect, containing some flaws that kind of hold it back from full impact. I liked that the movie was a more thoughtful than usual science fiction movie. It feels much more realistic than what you usually get in this kind of movie. There are some intriguing ideas sprinkled throughout too that give this some kind of original feel. And the special effects are very good. However, I will freely admit that the movie is extremely slow and mostly uneventful for the first hour or so. Things do pick up in the last half hour, though even then the movie seems to be taking its sweet time quite often. This movie is definitely not for audiences craving action and a fast pace. I still liked the movie despite its snail-like pace and lack of excitement, but at the same time the narrative could have used a bit more juice and action. The bottom line is that the movie does have features to be appreciated, but it's mainly for very patient viewers who are not craving popcorn entertainment but instead a more cerebral tone.

I'm only ½ way through, but I need to stop and take a break. Several scenes are happily on tripod, but the handheld scenes are nearly un-watchable. Why is shakey-cam still a thing ? And why zoom-into-focus on nearly every scene ? Clearly intentional, because simple editing could have done away with that. Anyway, the premise (so far) is interesting and looking forward to see where it goes.