Native

source: Native

This is a great movie for people who aren't expecting to be spoonfed a plot, and don't demand splashy CGI and space battles in their sci-fi. If you like the genre for space operas and explosions, you will be bored and probably confused. Rupert Graves and Ellie Kendrick star as Cane and Eva, alien colonists on a singular mission. Their culture is based on utilitarian uniformity, enforced by their telepathic connections - which are all the stronger in rare "twins" - and motivated by working for the good of the Hive. But, as they near Earth, the messily unique individualism of human life and its strange products, together with internal tragedy, cause the colonists' resolve to unravel. So far, so simplistic... and this is in many ways a very simple, very pared back movie with few truly original turns. The "humans are chaotic but beautiful" trope has been played out plenty of times before - but that's not truly what Native rests on. The austere sets, mood lighting, and telepathy sequences replete with arthouse shots and sound design create a claustrophobic atmosphere that has more in common with small production theatre than most sci fi movies, and makes for a wholly character driven journey that explores concepts of individualism, identity, self-reliance and the aching need to connect - in any way possible. There are a few mis-steps and the movie does waver a little into cliche and over-explanation, but more with the feeling of invoking familiar iconography than truly being a boring retread. With great performances and prickly chemistry from the two leads, and a deftness of world-building that leaves lots to the viewer's imagination - plus a neatly uncompromising ending - I would recommend this a million times over any recent big budget laser battle fiasco. After all, science fiction at its best dissects what it means to be human, and explores how we engage with the possibilities of our nature, our future, and our identity... and those are exactly the issues at Native's heart.

While it was very slow, I loved how Rupert portrayed Canes struggles. I like to believe the characters had a happy ending. It was slow, but in the end when all the little details gathered I really did enjoy Native.

The only modern characteristic of this film is the opening scene which is a preview of part of the films climax. I wish this trend would go away. I'm sick of films that begin with a spoiler scene from the ending. That gripe aside, I did enjoy this low budget sci fi movie that had you actually thinking.

A reasonable guess into alien psychology. Granted it's a bit slow but I really enjoyed it. Good for a Brit flick.

This is a slow paced, trying-to-be-clever dire mess of a film. The plot (for what it's worth) involves a couple of people heading to a planet to commit genocide. While they're on their travels they do a lot of talking (via voice-over because telepathy) and not a lot else. Graves' character Cane loses his connection to his home world, and falls apart with much spewing of quasi-philosophical mumblings. There's a female character who spends a lot of time doing yoga. That's about it. I'm pretty sure as a 45 minute special in an anthology the story could've worked. Spread over twice that length it plods along at a pedestrian pace so glacial it hurts. Graves does his best and I couldn't work out if Kendrick is wooden or was trying to portray some otherworldly uber-rational being. Either way, both characters lacked any redeeming qualities. At the end of the film there's a whole 30 seconds of excitement to break the monotony, before it lumbers back into "oh, aren't we clever" angst about the gravity of destroying an entire species. If you like experimental theatre you might enjoy it. If you don't, let reading this review be the most time you waste on it.

I have suffered with insomnia for most of my life, however, after watching 30 minutes of this I found myself falling asleep earlier than ever. You will have no idea on what's going on, you will be shown the same 5 scenes over and over with a slight variance to dialog each time, you will quite literally be wasting your life away. If you are thinking about actually watching this trash, I would instead recommend to go watch random YouTube videos instead, I guarantee it will be more entertaining.

...and that's really saying something. This is the sort of film that gives the British film industry a bad name. It looks like it was made on an abandoned 1970s Dr Who set by a bunch of film studies students (and we're talking GCSE, not degree level). The script is pathetic, absolutely pathetic. Whoever wrote it seems to think it's deep and intellectual but it really, really, really, really isn't. The actors seem to be taking it all very seriously, I can't for the life of me imagine why. The whole film is long, boring, pointless, stupid and just effing terrible.

But I wanted more....Although movie moves a bit slowly, the idea was good...unexpected ending. The ship was too funny though.....nothing inside... an hive full of honey?

Not for those addicted to coffee, salt, CGI and technobabble, but for a beautifully acted, moving and thought provoking story look no further. Full-on orchestrated Beethoven would have been better methinks.