IO

Not to sure that this deserves its current low rating and poor reviews. Yes it has flaws, scientific, pace etc, but it is also a meditative account of loneliness, and humanity's own flaws. It is also well shot with an emotive score that is well matched to the movie. It makes you think and consider many things, which is why I expect many of the reviews are negative. Not the best when compared to a Interstellar for example, but deserves some attention.

Although the concept is highly unrealistic, as climate change doesn't make the air poison (don't worry its just turning the ocean into acid), the concept is seemingly original and interesting. I saw the trailer and was intrigued enough to watch. I realized halfway through that this was going to be a pull-out-your-phone kind of movie. There are long stretches where you can look away for thirty minutes and not miss a single thing. There is little suspense in the story and the characters don't act like the movie established they should. There are action scenes that somehow put me to sleep. The costumes, scenery, and visuals are interesting to look at, but nothing to write home about. There are some comical moments where you can see an immaculate lawn or green vegetation in an area that it is established would be impossible.

The actors are decent, but don't have much to work with. It feels like the director was yelling, "more monotone, less passion!" The script is plodding and full of unnecessary mythology references that will go over most peoples heads and even having knowledge of the stories they were referencing I don't know how it applies. Either it is very complicated or so simple that I am overthinking it. I don't like to throw around the word 'pretentious' a lot, but this is certainly that at times. It is hard to explain without spoilers, but by around 2/3rds in people will understand what I mean.

All in all not a horrible movie, but not a good one. I feel with better direction and a more meaty script it could have fallen into a nice spot of an intriguing watch. It also has a very shove-climate-change-down-your-throat kind of attitude that even as someone who believes the scientists on climate change feels forced. The music is really good, but doesn't save it. This movie falls with a lot of Netflix movies into decent but disappointing.

How did this get made? It's like listening to your girlfriend tell you about a boring dream she had for 90 minutes straight. Achingly pretentious but without the artistic beauty to back it up. Mackie struggles with Twilight level dialogue while a surprisingly graceful score beautifully frames the drama and emotion that should be there but simply isn't. A crushing waste of everyone's time.

I understand some of the frustrations with this movie, largely because of the trailer, and the fact that it was advertised to me as a horror thriller, far from it, it's a meaningful story about the end of life as we know it, one woman's challenge, and her handling of change when a man appears.

Very visual, it has some poignant scenes, I particularly liked the decayed and rotten streets and buildings, they looked incredible.

There are multiple messages here, I appreciate that in amongst the many negative ones, there is one that shines through the whole way through, human spirit.

Tragic beauty, 7/10.

I love syfi stuff. This was well acted and I did not mind the slow movement of the movie. But it seemed to be a snapshot in the middle of a story. It felt like an incomplete thought. I wish there was more. Either at the beginning or end. Anyway, it was not satifying. No purpose or hope. Wish there was.