REVIEW: There is Nothing Settling About Settlers
After it becomes unsafe for humans to inhabit Earth, Reza (Jonny Lee Miller), Ilsa (Sofia Boutella), and their daughter, Remmy (Brooklynn Prince) find a new home on Mars. There the three live a quiet, but extremely cautious life. With rules in place to keep Remmy safe, her parents attempt to prepare the young girl for the future, even though they have no idea what that future may hold. When their future is put at risk by outsider, Jerry (Ismael Cruz Cordova), the family must find a way to keep Remmy’s future intact.
Told in three chapters, Settlers is a beautifully shot movie. Writer and director Wyatt Rockefeller showcases the Martian landscape in a way that is interesting and intriguing. It is unfortunately not enough to save this movie. The story features too many plot holes, leaving the audience with far too many questions. The story also doesn’t have a solid conclusion. The audience ends up feeling like they are back at square one. The movie also featured trope after trope, none of which were needed. By the end, the tropes became too predictable. You could anticipate when one was coming and I spent more time hoping it would not happen, knowing it would.
Prince leads the small cast as Remmy and is great. She continues to amaze me with how good of an actress she is at such a young age, but even her performance could not save the film. Miller, Boutella, and Cordova are good as the three adults, but they do not compare to Prince. The biggest problem with the characters featured in this movie has nothing to do with the acting, the acting is fine, but you are left not caring about the characters or what happens to them. At no point are you left rooting for their survival. If anything, you are left wondering what could have been done to make you care.
In all honesty, this is not a movie I would recommend watching. A little over 90 minutes, you will spend the entire time trying to understand what is going on. Ultimately, you will end up turning off the movie because it is too confusing or walk away wondering what you just watched.
Grade: D