The Beyond

The Beyond deserves a higher rating. I wasn't totally satisfied myself, thought it could have been much better, certainly with the potential it got. The story is well written, and by that I mean the plot, it's an interesting topic, futuristic but entertaining nonetheless. The problem I have with it is the fact it's filmed like a documentary, to me that was just a big mistake. The acting isn't bad though, neither are the CGI's. It's just too bad they made it look like a documentary, it slows down the story a couple of times, could definitely have used a faster pace. The idea was there and for that Hasraf 'HaZ' Dulull did a good job, he has interesting ideas, it's just the execution that could and should have been better.

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

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

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.

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.