Beyond The Trek, 2017.
Directed by Ian Truitner
Starring Sunny Mabrey, Lance Broadway, T.J. Hoban, Christian Pitre, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Ursula Mills, Weetus Cren and Michael Nouri
SYNOPSIS:
A deep space mining vessel has been adrift for two years. It is suspected the crew brutally killed each other, but the reason for the bloodbath is unknown. A rescue crew is sent to find if there are any survivors, what happened and why.
In the not too distant future, humans are genetically engineered to be perfect and are called GC Humans. The earth is also dying and a team of GCs are sent on a rescue mission to find out what happened to a ship that was carrying a compound that could save the world.
Beyond The Trek (or Teleios as it’s also known) is an enjoyable sci-fi adventure that takes a lot from Gattaca, Event Horizon and Sunshine. It raises questions about what it means to be human, genetic modification and sacrifice. But first things first, the “acting” has to be addressed. Unfortunately due to the budget, the acting is not good. Main protagonist Iris Duncan played by Sunny Mabrey does her best but she’s surrounded by people who have as much charisma as a plank of wood. Whilst it didn’t stop my enjoyment of the film it is a big negative.
There is so much to enjoy about Beyond The Trek. If you’re a lover of sci-fi and particularly sci-fi that asks a lot of questions about the human condition, then this is the movie for you. Without spoilering the various twists and turns there are moments throughout where the idea of killing one to save a thousand is raised and also whether it’s our emotions that make us human. The GC humans act superior to non-genetically modified humans because their emotions are controlled, but does that mean they’re really alive?
Ian Truitner shows some flair as a director. There are some unusual camera angle choices that don’t quite work and a few action set pieces that have been restricted due to budget; but all in all Beyond The Trek is a solid film. Whilst it starts off as a slow burner, as each twist and turn is revealed the tension ramps up to a cathartic finale. Given a bigger budget and some more acting talent, Truitner’s film would have been a complete success.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Helen Murdoch