As I move forward on my author journey - I really want to try and find a community of people I can interact with. I've already shared my influences on this blog previously so I thought I'd tell everyone the best new SciFi shows that I've been watching and reading of late and share the joy.
I am Mother - 10/10 (Netflix Movie)
I'm late to this particular gem I know. What a gem it is though!
The principal plot (no spoilers) is that humanity appears to be wiped out, and a robot "Mother" is incubating new humans from a pool of over 60,000 embryo's, but before it goes nuts (and can't care for them all at once), it's teaching itself with "Daughter", who when we meet her is approaching 18 years old now. Despite there only being 2 physical actresses in this movie, and an amazing voice for Mother by the excellent Rose Byrne, the story never drags or seems slow. There are so many twists and turns in this, that when you find out what has really been happening all along it will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. I absolutely loved the theme of this, the dystopia, the isolation of the "mothership" and the desolation you get to witness when the 'real world' is finally revealed. I woke up the next morning thinking about it, and still occasionally do now. I want to watch it again. This time I'll ask my wife to join me which will be the acid test, as she's very grounded and skeptical, so if SHE likes it - well it must be good. I'll let you know how I get on.
If you haven't seen this - and you like sci-fi - WATCH IT!
10/10
Leave the World Behind - 8/10 (Netflix Movie)
This one has attracted a bit of controversy, and seems to have a similar effect as to how people evaluate this. You either love it or you hate it - kind of like Marmite (UK) or Vegemite (Australia) if you are familiar with that particular old advertising campaign!
I loved it! The apocalyptic theme is not for everyone, but as a lover of near-future science fiction it's right up my street, even if my novel, "The Unravelling", is not set in or after such a serious event. The themes of isolation and of being cut off from our "always on" connectivity are well portrayed by an excellent ensemble cast, who doesn't love Julia Roberts in just about everything right?
The racial undertones to the story were a little overt for me, and it's getting tiring of a lot of shows over-playing the black vs white battle, but it's done sensitively and in a balanced way, with the prejudices of all parties equally on show. The character of Kevin Bacon is criminally under-used, and I hope there is a sequel and we get to see his story. He's the kind of badass you see like "Bill" in "The Last of Us" and I would love to know more about his story.
Overall, well I'm not giving anything away by saying this does not have a completed ending. If that's not for you, and you are prone to the odd scream when the credits roll without ALL the answers, then you might find this frustrating. Not me - I really did love it.
If you like wondering how the apocalypse could go and don't mind an open ending - WATCH IT!
8/10
Train to Busan - 7/10 (BluRay)
Another older 'classic' that I hadn't seen. I'm not spoiling anything by saying this is set on a train in South Korea, and there are zombies. I've been a fan of this type of dystopian genre ever since I was a kid and "Day of the Dead" was out on VHS (yes I AM that old!). My favourite example is "28 Days Later", and while this doesn't come close, it has some real humourous elements that make it slightly more "Shaun of the Dead".
The movie starts slow, building the back story and make you care about the protagonist with his tales of woe, and introduces some other characters who are a comedic mix of stereotypes that give a good backdrop to the hero's narrative. There are some good set pieces, a lot of blood and guts, and once the story picks up pace it never relents, which is of course exactly how I imagine a zombie outbreak would go!
The ending is excellent, funny and also sad in places, and made me want to catch the sequel - which is next on my "to order". If you liked "The Squid Games" (which I did!) and you don't mind zombie movies then you will like this. Fun fact - the movie grossed $80M in cinemas in South Korea, and only $2M in the USA!
All in all a great example of this genre, and if you haven't seen it then make time for it. It's not too cerebral, and is fun more than anything - GIVE IT A TRY!
7/10
I hope these bite sized reviews were interesting, and I'd love to know what you thought in the comments below or on our socials.
Speak soon!
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