Lumina

Alien films are tricky because so much has been covered. There is little fertile ground save for the reshuffling of previous material. Here in Lumina, there is a soft effort to make a personal connection between the conspiracy and the characters. However, the film's path is full of never-ending twists in the road, unexpected turns, and revelations that keep the audience more distracted than engaged. By the time the film ends, there is a feeling of being off-balance caused by the rapid surprises and shifts in the narrative.

The biggest challenge for Lumina is the scope of its ambitions. The film tries to spin off into a myriad of directions, ranging from government secrets to alien menaces. These are all valid angles, but the problem lies in the execution, which is sloppy and, at times, distracted. Audiences will likely guess the ending before the end of the first act. The lack of subtlety is to the detriment of the film. While there are some twists, they arrive a little too late to make any real contact.

Full Review at Geek Vibes Nation.

Gino McKoy's Lumina is a shining example of what science fiction can achieve when it's handled with care, creativity, and an eye for detail. From the moment the film begins, it's clear that McKoy has a strong vision, one that combines stunning visuals with a narrative that challenges the viewer to think deeply about the nature of reality and existence. This isn't just another sci-fi movie filled with flashy special effects and shallow plotlines. Instead, Lumina offers something much more substantial and thought-provoking. The story of Lumina revolves around complex themes of consciousness, identity, and the fabric of reality itself. These are heavy topics, but McKoy handles them with a deft touch, weaving them into a narrative that is both engaging and emotionally resonant.

Film starts with a lot of potential, but after about 20 mins it really takes a dive. Plot, script, acting, makeup, location, editing, continuity all dive very low and the originally promising elements evaporate and a low low really low budget poorly thought out and painfully lacking flick emerges. I'm currently 1 hour 15 mins in and I am not sure I can watch any more of it.

If you try it, about 20 mins in when you get to the cop by the pool delivering his line , you'll see the film for what it really is. A disappointing cringeworthy effort (or lack of it).

The stuff that gets through selection for Prime is becoming a joke. A bad one at that.

Even in a world where sharknado and its ilk are made, I find it difficult to believe that someone would invest in and produce this.

The "plot" simultaneously is all over the place and goes absolutely nowhere. It is truly baffling that someone paid for this script and said, "I HAVE to make this".

You may think, "Well at least there must be some decent acting in it". You would be incorrect. Small town theaters provide more convincing performances than anyone involved in this delivers.

It is so very bad that I'm almost convinced that someone in charge decided early on that they were going to go for a Razzie or something.

The movie does not even have enough substance to be considered for a Golden Raspberry.

I've seen better things made by kids with cheap equipment on YouTube.

I suppose I should start with the positives, there aren't many so this shouldn't take long. The cinematography is rather good in some parts. And that....is that.

Everything else is terrible. The script. The plot. The acting. The screenplay. The direction. The editing. The CGI. The music. All of it objectively bad. Not poor, but really bad.

The worst thing about it is the unstructured, uninteresting meandering nature of the film. It is just a collection of scenes that mean nothing.

The characters and their relationship to each other is non existent.

You always know a bad movie when Eric Roberts turns up to collect his pension. Although he was in The Dark Knight, so I will cut him some slack.