The Beyond

Gillian LaRoux is a leading manager in the international Space Agency based in London. One day, an anomaly in space appeared over the sky and they name it The Void. Assuming it to be a wormhole, the agency is preparing a secret mission to explore the phenomenon. They use an experimental cyborg project where human brains are implanted into a cybernetic body called Human 2.0.

This is Arrival without Denis Villeneuve or 2001 without Kubrick. I don't know anything about writer/director Hasraf Dulull. He seems to have a few interesting ideas and some special effect skills although he has no skills in story telling. This is a movie layout by expositions more than a plot and any character development. First, Dulull introduces Gillian but she goes into the background. Every character does the same thing. Nobody has a personal story. Nobody sticks. It's just as well since these are day players. None of them has great charisma. The narrative is mechanical only to lay out the plot such as there is one. While I like the ideas and final reveal, this needs a story and fleshed out characters.

The beyond is not a unique film, borrowing elements from Robocop, Europa Report, and other movies that strive for that real looking (but fake) documentary look. Robocop and Europa Report? Must be a good movie then, right? Wrong!

This movie drifts from idea to idea, and when it borrows - it forgets to borrow the most important film quality: Entertainment. I think this movie might be a good watch for people who multitask while a movie is on. Because whenever you take this movie in, there is generally something of visually interest. But actually sitting down, focusing and absorbing the content? One is pelted with a lot of unfocused ideas that kinda tell a story regarding future exploration and alien contact.

If there is one thing I really like about this movie is the optimistic take on the unknown, in this current era of intense social cynicism.

Ultimately though - I felt the film lacked a clear narrative, lacked consistent pacing, and has marginal success in terms of casting, acting, directing.

not unwatchable, but imo an average 5/10

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

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.

The Beyond is without a doubt one of the most boring films I've sat through in ages. I expected a sci fi thriller/horror, and instead got ninety minutes of dull scientific gobbledegook. So little happens, which is a shame as the ideas and concepts are huge. The acting is decent rather then good, it doesn't feel like a B movie in terms of acting, just in terms of everything else. The reason why I haven't scored this a two or three is because of the production values, this is a beautiful looking film, with some fantastic special effects, it looks like money was put into the production.

Overall it's not bad, it's watchable, mainly for the effects. 5/10