Prospect

Simple, believable, and without unnecessary fluff, the story draws you into this young girls challenges while coming of age. As if reading an early science fiction short, you are provided just enough information to move the story along, and are left to your imagination to characterize the individuals and draw your own moral implications from their actions. In this age of high budget, force fed conclusions and extravagant special effects....some trust has been placed in the audience. I like that.

This isn't space battles, explosions, and flashy visual effects. Instead, it's a well-acted story about people, that happens to be set in an interplanetary context. Great aesthetic and prop design, an interesting mix of futuristic and retro.

As you can see by the reviews posted so far, this little gem polarises the audience.

One share of the Reviews is 7-10, the other 1-3. Almost nothing in between.

Probably this his to to with the expections.

Well, if you're looking for some fast-paced space battle pew pew laser action this isn't the movie you want to watch. This isn't a movie about aliens or about high-tech spacecraft. It's a movie about a few people in a difficult situation.

Made using simple means but with love to the detail. Retro in the best sense. Slow but thrilling. Good acting.

To give away too much of the plot would be a shame. So just watch and enjoy. (Or don't watch if you only like movies with tons of explosions and lengthy chases.)

Prospect, directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell, is a tale you could see on the fringes of a larger story. It tells about a young teenage girl, played by Sophie Thatcher, who lands on a distant planet with her dad (Jay Duplass), to hunt and harvest precious gemstones that might be their ticket to better life and prosperity. But, on the outer planets, you run into all sorts of danger.

Prospect is not a large story. Its about a single life, single girl, trying to survive a horrible situation. This story could be told in many ways. It could be a three page short story in a pulp magazine focusing on westerns. It could be a side plot on a TV series. It could be a whole novel, if you padded it and fleshed it out, but even then there's not that much to bite on.

And that's exactly why the film is so refreshing. Because it is such a rare piece, because it chooses to focus on a smaller story. And because it such a well-told narrative, it manages to make such a story feel grander than it is.

It helps that the film is brilliantly made. You can very easily see the limitations of the budget, but fortunately modern effects are so good that you can tell a science fiction story, set on a distant planet, and make it seem real even if you don't have the budget for huge sets and elaborate props.

The acting is also surprisingly good. Thatcher plays her character very mellow, very low-key, but it works. Pedro Pascal as Ezra, a mercenary harvester, is also brilliant. Just the right amount of quirk mixed with world-weariness.

Prospect is an easy recommendation if you're a fan of the science fiction genre. Beautiful visuals, interesting scenarios, great world-building and off-beat story moments. What's not to like?

I had no idea that this film existed and when I learned of it I had to immediately give it a watch. I'd take true science fiction over an epic space battle or alien invasion any day. I absolutely LOVE the look and feel of this film...obviously futuristic but in a dirty, mechanical way- no polish to be found here. The sound/music is fantastic, and shots from outer space are surprisingly impressive. If you're a big fan of CGI or mind-blowing cinematography then you may feel underwhelmed by this, and that's OK. It's something different though, and it's one of the more intense and gripping stories I've seen in some time. Love the realistic action of the gunplay; these weapons are certainly from tomorrow but there's no pew pew here. They seem unreliable, and difficult to fire, though extremely deadly if your aim is true. Sophie Thatcher provides a breakout turn as an unlikely heroine among a crew of male characters who are all less than noble in their own ways, mostly being driven by greed and desperation. I expect to see more from her as her young career continues. 8/10 overall, but it's a 10/10 if exclusively considered next to other smaller-scale science fiction pictures.