It feels like science fiction is starting to make a comeback in Hollywood. There's the new adaptation of Dune, a sequel in the works, and a spinoff television series coming soon to HBO Max. Then there's the Foundation series on Apple+ that I keep hearing good things about but haven't seen yet. Then there are the direct-to-VOD and Blu-ray flicks that aren't half bad. So, all in all, the future of onscreen science fiction looks promising.
Now let's get to the nitty-gritty - my review for The Colony.
The Colony (also known as Tides) is an English-language German-Swiss science adventure thriller from director Tim Fehlbaum (who co-wrote the script with Mariko Minoguchi) and producer Roland Emmerich. The film premiered earlier this year at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival. Constantin Film distributed it in Germany, and Saban Films took over distribution in the United States.
Did The Colony receive a theatrical release? Or did it go straight to VOD? Well, you're asking the wrong person because my pre-Blu-ray knowledge about this film is limited. If someone knows the answer, please leave a comment.
Lionsgate Home Entertainment released The Colony (R; 104 minutes) to Digital and Blu-ray (digital copy included) on October 12th. Special Features include an Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Tim Fehlbaum and the featurette Visions of the Future: Making The Colony.
Earth has become decimated by climate change, pandemics, and war. Hitting a little close to home, are we? Somehow Earthlings created the technology to leave our solar system and colonize another planet, Space Colony Kepler-209. Oh, there's one little catch - only the "elite" got to live on the new homeworld. Go figure!
Many years later, the Elites (or whatever you want to call them) launched a team of astronauts back to Earth to learn if it was still uninhabitable. The crew never turned, and the mission was considered a loss. Then another space expectation is sent to Earth. Astronaut Blake (Nora Arenezeder) goes on a solo mission, where she tries to survive a hostile planet and its remaining inhabitants.
Final Thoughts
At first glance, The Colony looks like a cheap made-for-SyFy movie from the early 2000s, but it's the complete opposite. I don't know what the budget was, but the film looks more expensive than it probably cost. The cinematography by Markus Förderer is breathtaking. Lorenz Dangel's musical score is beautiful and haunting at the same time. The cast is astonishing, especially Nora Arenezeder and Iain Glen (Game of Thrones).
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Colony. It's a slick intelligent science fiction flick.
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