Michelle Rose

Excellent art. True to the original books and exciting as any epic SF film. I cannot imagine why this move was so criticized. Perhaps the critics did not read the books and expected something more mainstream, more modern. Disney completely mishandled the promotion and distribution. It's still a beautifully realized piece of classic SF containing values that some might consider obsolete, but I LOVED this film and everything in it.

Was high school totally f***ed for you? Then you'll REALLY like this series. It's kind of a mash-up of "Ghost World," "Daria," and "Carrie." (Maybe some other stuff I'm missing because it's late and I've had one too many shooters.) It's VERY Eighties--the music alone is worth your time bingeing this exquisite little gem. I WANT the soundtrack! All of it!--and the casting is the most unlikely, improbably diverse mix you'll ever see on TV anywhere, anytime. But every youngster in this hyper-talented crowd NAILS it. Let us briefly consider Sophia Lillis who plays Sydney, the richly twisted, incredibly fish-out-of-water bisexual teenage girl grieving for her deceased father, seeking closure, seeking meaning, seeking identity, seeking-- Something. She doesn't even know what it is and probably wouldn't recognize it if she found it and isn't that how we ALL felt when we were 16, 17 years old, zits in the most unlikely places, two left feet, and a weird hunger mixed with an equally weird fear of the unknown? Lillis plays Sydney PERFECTLY. (it helps to be right in that age bracket) She IS Sydney, a most unlikely young woman for all the right reasons. You'll fall in love with her. I guarantee it. You may want to kiss her. You may wish that she was YOUR daughter. You may just want to hold her hand and tell her that it's going to be okay, she'll be alright. Even if it most certainly will NOT. No spoilers. Not from ME. ("Ya ain't gettin' nuttin' from me, ossifer!") Instead, binge this. Admire it. Appreciate it. It's weird and wicked and goofy and hilariously funny. Every now and then, something really excellent like this comes along and it kind of restores my faith in the power of the small screen to tell stories on a completely personal. intimate level. Therefore: thanks, Jon Entwhistle and Charles Forsman, and most especially thank YOU, Sophia Lillis, for giving us something really cool, really unique, and really really good. I liked it. Do it again.

A teaser, of course. I rather doubt if Blomkamp intended to bring us a fully-fleshed movie with all the necessary expository or even a resolution. (I note that this seems to have disappointed and annoyed many fans.) Instead, he was experimenting with computer interfacing and the construction of IDEAS, not finished presentations. This movie, like the other short bits he's been involved with, is seriously computer resource-intensive. Without asking him, I can tell that he's testing the waters, gauging audience reactions. These narratives were designed strictly for the small screen and internet-only delivery. Scaling up to the big screen would be hideously expensive. No, he wants to know if this can be done on multiple platforms with a less expensive delivery. As always, he's quite foresighted. He knows that big screen productions are rapidly going the way of the dinosaurs; too big and clunky. Having said that, this is quite good. It generates interest, involvement, curiosity. What happens next? Gee, fans, why don't you tell US? Do your own thing: write fan-fic, try your hand at your own resolutions, play with the concept. He's not said as much, but I recognize an invitation when I see it. Weaver's performance is exquisitely understated. I can't imagine a better casting for this role. The subtle play of shadow and nuance is perfectly suited for her kind of performance. Watch her eyes! Migawd, there's an entire narrative in those wise, weary, sharply intelligent brown orbs. Here is a woman who has seen much and has somehow managed to prevail and persevere in the face of utter disaster. I watched this many times and each time, I saw something deeper, more complexly layered. Sigourney Weaver has become the Grande Dame of dystopian SF. Bless her. Can't imagine a better actress for that. This short, like the others that Blomkamp has helmed, is only a harbinger of things to come. It's damn good and that's VERY reassuring.