Pandorum: Movie Review

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Symptoms of ‘Pandorum’.

It’s been a long time since a sci-fi horror has graced our screens and sent those familiar chills up our weary spines. I believe it’s been more than 10 years since the wickedly entertaining “Event Horizon” conjured up our worst nightmares introducing us to the evil that lies in the depths of space, and now it’s time to revisit the bone-chilling

Anyone who’s seen the 1997 hit, which gave us Sam Neil the demonic scientist and Laurence Fishburne the would be martyr, knows that nothing compares to the fear experienced in deep space. Thankfully, after a decade of waiting, the man who produced the now classic film, Paul W.S Anderson, brings us yet another delicious helping of terror in the psychological nightmare, “Pandorum”.

Ben Foster (30 Days 30 Nights) stars as Corporal Bower, a lone crewmember aboard the mammoth spacecraft Elysium. He awakens to a dark world confused and suffering from temporary memory loss due to his prolonged hyper sleep. His mission as a mechanical engineer was to ensure the safe passage of 60000 passengers to a new earth, but he soon realizes that something has gone horribly wrong.

Bower is joined by another officer, Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid), and together they attempt to find out what happened to the remaining crew and all of the passengers aboard the Ark-like vessel. What they find is a pitch-black nightmare riddled with cannibalistic predators who hunt down the remaining humans, who have become paranoid and afflicted by the claustrophobic environment they call home.

Directed by young up and coming director Christian Alvart (Antibodies), a German filmmaker with a keen eye for detail, the film marks the return of sci-fi horror. Filmed entirely on set at Studio Babelsberg outside of Berlin, the film boasts an incredible array of large-scale sets built to offer both the cast and crew a tangible environment that adds to the intensity of the storyline. You will notice the strong emphasis on colour and creative lighting that paint a darkly disturbing world that's guaranteed to frighten you.

The concept, born out of a collaborative effort between screenwriter Travis Milloy and director Christian Alvart, deals with a possible future we all could face given the rapid deterioration of the planet. With this as a basis the filmmakers have taken the premise and created a vicious tale of paranoia and confinement that proved a superb challenge for its cast members. This is visible in their performances that are believable and intense.

Dennis Quaid, clearly the grandfather of the cast, manages his role with class and clearly enjoys his dabble into modern science fiction. His co-stars, all of whom are less experienced, hold their own and special mention must go to newcomer Anje Traue (Nadia) who provides a physical performance that’s great to watch.

The use of minimal CGI effects, and a strong emphasis on set design and make-up artistry must be commended as it makes the overall experience a lot more terrifying. Some might see this as “The Decent” in space, and others may draw similarities in style with the well-known video game “Dead Space”, but within the margins of this tale lies an acutely frightening sense of what can happen when the human mind is held captive for far too long.

Fans of the genre will enjoy it, and those who missed out on the relative classics will find a taste of what sci-fi fan boys spent their lunch breaks conspiring about.

Rating: ***.5/5
Running time: 108 min

Jasyn Howes
On Screen