Well, one thing I can thank the Pandemic for is it got me to clear out all the movies/shows piling up in my Netflix-Hulu-Disney-Apple+ queues. It’s also giving me an excuse to finally implement a section I’ve wanted to do for years! Originally, I wanted to name it Sick Day Theater but I didn’t want to give the impression, especially an employer, I’m goldbricking by calling out sick just to watch TV…trust me, when I’m ill, I’m illin’.
So…after years of ass dragging, my first installment of Pandemic Theater! (Formerly Sick Day Theater.)
Prospect is an indie, low-budget Sci-Fi flick I saw a trailer for in 2018 yet it never showed up in any Austin movie theaters beyond our annoying festivals. This is when Hulu shines over Netflix, oddly; they tend to carry more of Indie or Foreign stuff. Hell, Parasite will be there in a couple days.
The story entails a father (Damon) and daughter (Cee) team landing on a “green moon” to harvest these rare, lucrative gems called aurelac. Given the gems’ high value, the duo most overcome a few obstacles:
- The moon’s atmosphere is toxic so wearing a spacesuit with an air filter is mandatory. Don’t let the lush, Pacific-Northwest forest fool you.
- The aurelac-producing creature’s skin is dangerous. Damon points out during an accidental score that if the chemistry to bring out the gem is imprecise, a lethal explosion will result (as it did to a nearby corpse ) or the treasure dissolves.
- Their pod didn’t land at their desired destination, forcing them to walk to the rendezvous point for about a cycle.
- They only have three cycles to get what they can. After this, the mothership leaves and no further vessels are coming to retrieve anyone on the “green moon.”
- They aren’t nor have been the only people trying to get rich quick. The pair carry a rifle to ward off claim jumpers which are common in the frontier.
Despite their initial misfortunes, they’re a little ahead with the previously mentioned accidental score. The main objective is to meet up at what Damon calls The Queen’s Lair. It’s supposed to be the biggest overlooked deposit of aurelac in years. They’ll make enough money to pay of all their debts and maybe get on to a normal life.
As per the trailer, they run into a couple armed and dangerous mercenaries. One merc and Damon are killed in a sudden exchange. The surviving merc (Ezra) is injured but he makes a deal with Cee, team up and they will both get off the “green moon” alive. Cee has the advantage by owning the only working air filter.
So they trek across the forest, encountering people who went native, environmental hazards and the unsavory people Damon made the deal with. Will they survive? Will they escape? Is Ezra trustworthy even though he killed Damon while explaining to Cee that life on the frontier can be transactional.
Overall, I loved it. Some of the best Science Fiction focuses on its true to purpose. Examining and pushing on the human condition. You don’t need flashy effects, mind-bending aliens or ray guns to tell a fantastic story. Sure, Prospect could be told in modern times and/or it’s derived from the California/Yukon gold rushes. The Sci-Fi spin throws in elements unique to it: the toxic air and getting a ride off the “green moon” which is on par with the Apollo moon landers. Pedro Pascal (now known as the Mandalorian and Max Lord in the delayed Wonder Woman 1984) was amazing as Ezra. I didn’t recognize him at all. Then again, he wears a helmet in the Star Wars show and I’ve never watched his previous work beyond The Kingsman sequel.
If you’re a fan of low-tech Sci-Fi and/or the game Traveller, better yet, other films like Outland, Alien and The Martian you will enjoy this.