Prospect (2018) is a science-fiction thriller where scrappy citizen astronauts use minimalist space tech to try and last the day in a profiteering, new frontier.
But as if life was imitating art, making the film was like a DIY project.
Through Kickstarter, moviemakers Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell raised $21,000 to make a sci-fi short.
After the short was a hit on Vimeo and made an impression at the 2014 South By Southwest, Earl and Caldwell convinced BRON studios to finance a feature-length version.
Now armed with $4 million, Earl and Caldwell moved into a ship-building warehouse, hiring an oddball “art collective” of carpenters, mechanics, industrial designers, and cosplayers to help them build costumes, ships, and weapon props.
And the newbie filmmakers had a secret weapon up their sleeve. Through agent connections, they cast the acting darling of the moment, Pedro Pascal, in a leading role.
Though Prospect saw a minor theatrical release, it eventually found its way to US Netflix (Earl himself on Reddit about that here).
Given the humble origins, the ~six-year journey to get this film made and released is applause-worthy.
But is Prospect a good movie?
Let’s find out.
The Plot of Prospect:
Sometime in the future, humankind develops space technology that enables planet exploration.
Down on their luck, teenager Cee (Sophie Thatcher) and her father, Damon (Jay Duplass), disconnect their pod from a space shuttle to land on a forest moon so they can complete a contract to mine for Aurelac gems – a rare and valuable resource.
But the moon’s poisonous atmosphere is not the only danger lurking in the woods.
When Cee and Damon land off-course and head for their destination, they encounter suspicious prospectors Ezra (Pedro Pascal) and Number Two (Luke Pitzrick).
Soon, a shaky truce develops as circumstances force young Cee and mysterious Ezra to cooperate for profit and passage off the moon.
The Rest of the Main Cast Includes:
- Arthur Deranleau as Fahr
- Andre Royo as Oruf
- Alex McCauley as Bahr
- Doug Dawson as Heshir
- Krista Johnson as Gali
- Brian Gunter as Mesur
- Anwan Glover as Mikken
- Sheila Vand as Inumon
- Trick Danneker as Jack
- Christopher Morson as Zed
- Shepheard Earl as a Conductor
- Ben Little as a Prisoner
What’s Working Well Here:
Understated Future Tech, +10 Points
Prospect is another entry in the “lived-in sci-fi” category, where the technology is advanced but uncomplicated.
But the designs ditch the grease, coveralls, and exposed metal railing of Alien or Outland for a far-future analog chic worthy of a Pinterest pin.
Cee and Damon touch down in a no-frills pod shaped like a latte cup, and their tools for mining Aurelac (a strange orb cut from living plants) seem out of any space station’s hardware store.
The well-dressed janitor spacesuits are equally worthy of a repair mission spacewalk or fashion show catwalk.
There’s a low point in the production values when what looks like a static painting or backdrop of a planet pulled me out of the film. But this forgivable few seconds is probably a product of the low budget.
Strong Performances, +5 Points
Sophie Thatcher’s Cee is button-cute but hardened and streetwise (or is it planetwise?). No doubt she’s been influenced by a life of weary travels scraping odd jobs on a tour of duty through the galaxy’s not-so-finest locales.
Thatcher’s performance effectively balances Cee’s fear, courage, and youth.
She hesitates, bristling with fear, when her father orders her to point her gun at Ezra. But she snaps herself into courage at other challenging moments, only to fall into the girlish glee of a teen and wax lyrical about her favorite book series.
Pedro Pascal’s Ezra dons a clothy-looking brown spacesuit like the hoodie of the future.
Like a southern gentle-thief of space, he unwinds his words with a slippery throwback charm and dignity, his vocabulary more educated than you’d expected and delivered slightly formally.
Friend or foe, Ezra lives by his own code of honor, always open to negotiation.
Pascal’s performance could have easily slipped into embodying Tuco (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) and becoming too cartoonish.
But he plays Ezra straight enough not to sink it, his corkiness just a touch oddball over full-blown scallywag.
No Technical Manual, +2 Points
Rather than heavy-handed dialogues or scenes just for exposition, the explanations around this film’s technology are baked in.
Clips pop out of the “throwers” (guns) and get placed in a little generator with a hand crank to reload.
We watch the labored process of mining Aurelac — cutting away dangerous living plant matter from the ground, using a variety of solutions to make it safe, and cutting out the gem with a skilled hand.
In an intelligent choice, the film trusts the audience to see how the technology works instead of dull exposition dumps.
No Thanks – I Brought My Own Terminology, +1 Point
The film creates its own slang.
Guns are “throwers.”; characters “spend time out in the green.”
The future slang is a deft little writing touch that elevates the world-building.
Fun Setup, Dangerous World +2 Points
The movie forces would-be foes to cooperate, which plenty of films have done (Assault on Precinct 13, Enemy Mine, 3:10 to Yuma) yet still feels fresh.
And there’s enough originality here to keep the setup engaging.
The story paints a bleak world. Every encounter with another human is a chance to barter for supplies or even human lives. There aren’t any peace-and-love-seeking settlers in Prospect’s universe.
It creates a future you can believe, where humankind’s worst threat in space isn’t rugged terrain or poisonous air – just other humans free of supervision.
Dig Them Leaves and Trees, +1 Point
The words “forest moon” bring to mind Endor (Return of the Jedi). Still, the lush world here lacks cuddly teddy bear Ewoks and is filled with floaty insects and unseen swirling poison.
The movie swaps Jedi’s Northern California for a private land trust adjacent to Olympic National Park, Washington. Long shots of the characters set against natural ferns and swooping trees are fun and add to the feeling of isolation.
And it’s a fresh choice for marooned characters compared to the barren waste of a rocky, desert planet.
What’s Not Working So Well:
Can We Turn Up the Volume On the Characters? -5 Points
**Spoiler Alerts Here**
The low-key style is fun for the technology and aesthetics, but the subdued vibe leaks into the characters too, and it hurts the film.
Damon and Cee’s father/daughter dynamic is underdeveloped. We learn he’s a single father, a functioning drug user struggling to provide in a difficult age.
But what are Cee’s specific feelings toward him? We only get a little of a picture. So when Damon is killed, we don’t feel the loss like we could have if we understood more about their relationship.
Cee copes with it in a way a teenager could – finding shelter in music and wall art with her used food wrappers. But is this really grieving?
And when she enters her partnership with Ezra, he could become a new mentor or father figure. We get enough of them working together, like Cee having to amputate his arm, to show they’re developing a trust.
But why specifically would Cee bond with Ezra? Could he have qualities she always wanted in a dad?
The movie had opportunities to tap deeper into these characters’ bonds but didn’t take it.
Go Watch Prospect
Total Score: 16
A debut feature that journeyed from crowdfunding to mainstream release, Prospect has all the trimmings and setup of a fine film.
Its production values create a nifty sci-fi aesthetic. Its clever setup gives it tension that lasts to the conclusion, keeping the viewer entertained. And the performances, especially that of Pedro Pascal, superpower the drama.
It lacks the character-building nous to create a spellbinding classic, but this is a definite watch for sci-fi fans. And for those who love straight drama, it’s grounded enough to enjoy.
So fly me to the moon.
Let me mine among the stars.
And let me see what spring is like
on a forest moon that scars.
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Disclaimer:
This review’s factual information was gathered through online sources, like Wikipedia, IMDB, or interviews. Misrepresentations and errors are possible but unintentional.
Making art is hard. This is a fan’s blog. Any criticisms are meant to be constructive.
