Checked out a little indie sci-fi flick from 2018 called Prospect. Rented it on iTunes based on its surprisingly good Rotten Tomatoes review score (89%). Never heard of the flick.
Set in the future, it’s about a father/daughter team of gem prospectors who take a job on a toxic moon. The film doesn’t waste any time explaining itself, its world, it’s technology, or even what kind of weird prospecting they are doing. You have to pick up what’s going on from context clues, sets, props, and off-hand comments. That’s ultimately a pretty cool approach but led to some definite annoyance or frustration early on the film.
That said, the film’s technology and props and such is really pretty unique and are a star of the film. The junky landing craft, for example, is clearly inspired by real-life spacecraft design. It’s not shiny or zippy… it’s hard and functional. It looks junky compared to whiz-bang sci-fi stuff we usually see. The ship operates using recognizable technology – it’s a landing pod that uses parachutes and there’s a weight limit for re-launch. I really dig the aesthetic vibe of this movie.
The story itself could be any Old West film about desperate people trying to strike it rich by finding the motherload. There’s other prospectors – desperados you might even call them – who are hunting the same riches as our protagonists. They just all do this in environment suits (since the air on the planet is toxic) so you know it’s the future.
In the end, I really enjoyed this film. My estimation started low and progressively and continuously rose to the point the suspenseful and exciting final act really convinced me this one was worth watching. I suspect some people won’t have the patience to get past the cryptic nature of the storyline and weird prospecting (it’s very gooey) and I get that. I was there at the start… but I think this movie may surprise you.
Score: 80