Prospect

Elijah Wachs, Student Contributor

In a modern world full of artistic visions of humanity’s very unsure future, it’s rare to find a SiFi film that gives a true sense of refreshment  when the credits roll onto screen. But luckily for us, Prospect is just that movie. Coming from directing duo Christopher Caldwell and Zeek Earl, Prospect starts in the hall of a starship far out in space. We meet our lead Cee, played brilliantly by Sophie Thatcher, listening to music circling a foreign planet. Unfortunately for our lead and her father, played convincingly by Jay Duplass, this is the transport’s last cycle around the planet before they leave for good. This is where our story begins, you have probably never heard of this movie but this is why you should.

The story is very simple, Cee and her father Damon are “prospectors” who harvest a gem from alien vines. This is where Prospect shines in the SiFi realm. The universe the movie takes place in is incredibly lived in; What is this gem they harvest? Doesn’t matter. Where are they in the galaxy? Not important. Any information the movie wants you to know is given in context, everything else is secondary at best. Zero exposition, zero narration, zero handouts. Even the tech used in the film is understandable and needs no explanation. How do they drink in their suits? The straws are built into their helmets. The guns are designed to be light, small, and use no explosives. Everything the film uses has a purpose and makes the universe more believable than half of the SiFI action blockbusters that hit theaters. The movie is solely focused on the characters and the story which it delivers in a compelling and simple way. The unlikely pair of Cee and the ever-dashing Pedro Pascal’s Ezra are looking for a way out of “The Green” before the transport leaves them stranded. Everything else is tantamount to what the movie wants you to pull from the story; nobody survives alone