An Ending is Just A New Beginning

 Is The Cure Worse Than The Illness?

Terminus (2015) – A major war in the middle east is dragging the world into the apocalypse. When a man comes into contact with a life form from outer space, he discovers there may be a terrifying alternative.

Directed by Marc Furmie

Starring Jai Koutrae, Todd Lasance, Kendra Appleton

Why I Liked It – Not without flaws, but an interesting, cerebral science fiction movie.

Welcome to the “slow burn” movie.  This Australian movie is not in any hurry to get to the “action” part of the story.  The script doesn’t rely on familiarity with the basic concept (big war coming, dystopia now, apocalypse later) to zoom past the specific context of this movie.  A small town mechanic has a close encounter with something not from this world.  Is it biological or technological?  Without question, it has properties that make it fascinating, useful and perhaps weaponizable.  A government agent will do what it takes to get control of what is being hidden. The mechanic, his daughter, and an out of work veteran of the current war they’ve befriended, will make life or death decisions for themselves and all of mankind.

Critics are divided on how well Furmie pulls it off.  Count me in the thumbs up category.  Working with a small budget, the director cuts a few corners.  The action takes place in the United States, while they shot the film in Australia.  It is filled with little goofs when Australian details surface throughout the movie.  This is a science fiction film that is more about ideas than action.  There aren’t a lot of flashing effects or CGI.  It doesn’t need them.  “Terminus” is about people and their relationships, love and loss, power and corruption. Once the story takes off, it carries on nicely.  A lot is familiar territory (because there are no “new ideas”, just fresh approaches), but it held my interest to the end.

I will admit, the acting is uneven.  Fortunately, it improves overall as the movie goes forward.  The cast comprises veterans of both the small screen and large.  No one jumped out at me in particular.  Bren Foster as the bad guy government agent is nasty, while Kendra Appleton is the daughter and brings some real emotional depth to the role.

What you end up with is a movie with flaws, but one that tries to be more than just another low-budget movie.  There’s style and artistry here, and both a heart and a brain.  I will see movies that are a lot worse before the year is out.

Rating – *** Worth A Look