I’d heard good things about this film, and it was indeed a good ‘un. A road movie that blends elements of tense psychological drama with a science fiction twist. Riz Ahmed plays Malik, an ex-marine who takes his two young sons away in the middle of the night, in a bid to save them from an unworldly disease-like microorganism spreading across America. Insects are carriers of this strange new plague and you’re always aware of their presence in the film – or perhaps they are merely metaphors for something else…
It’s a great film. with moments of incredible tension but equal moments of serene beauty. And speaking of beauty, the stunning cinematography (by Benjamin Krakun) revels in both the intimacy and claustrophobia of the small world of Malik and his sons in their car, with the sprawling sun-drenched landscapes of the America midwest. It’s gorgeous and dreamlike. And the music and sound design sells it just as much, with an ambient score punctuated by the ever-present scratching and hissing of insects.
It’s a deeply human story, very much a primal one about the bond between a father and his sons. Riz Ahmed’s performance in the lead role is brilliantly intense but tempered with great vulnerability. And the kids – equally important in this story – were both really good, especially Lucian-River Chauhan as the older of the two. Octavia Spencer, always great, plays an important supporting role as one of the people trying to find this lost family and bring them to safety.
To say anything more would be venturing into massively spoiler-ish territory and it would be a real shame to do so with such a decent little film. So I won’t say any more, other than if you liked films like BADLANDS (1973), MONSTERS (2010) and A PERFECT WORLD (1993) it’ll probably be right up your street.
It’s on Amazon Prime.
