by Kristin Ciliberto, Contributing Writer
Wyatt Rockefeller makes his feature film directorial debut with Settlers, which stands out by its compelling plot as a science fiction and human western tale. Reza (Jonny Lee Miller) and Ilsa (Sofia Boutella) are the parents of Remmy (Brooklynn Prince) as the family must survive living on Mars. Once a threatening and mysterious stranger named Jerry (Ismael Cruz Cordova) kills Reza, he steps into the picture and takes over Ilsa and Remmy’s lives as the film is told over three chapters.
Forget the stereotypical space film with aliens or that focus on technology, because for a film set on Mars, it’s not your average science fiction film. Audiences will expect to explore Mars, but Settlers doesn’t. However, it explores the idea of human behavior. Filmed in a desert on the Northern Cape of South Africa, the landscape looks super realistic, yet dreary as the characters are isolated and living on Mars. The film has to be set in the near future as none of the characters need to wear space suits or helmets.
The movie has a small ensemble — Prince (who plays Moonee in Sean Baker’s 2017 film The Florida Project) plays the younger version of Remmyand as time passes, Nell Tiger Free steps into the picture to star as an older Remmy, and they both hold the film together. The story is an emotional journey for Remmy’s character. Each of their performances are equally great as their characters are put into intense and stressful situations that come up due to Cordova’s character. He delivers a presence that can be unsettling, and Boutella and Miller both give solid enough performances, but they felt forced. However, the film fails to make me care about any of the characters due to how bleak it is, and it gives very little detail as to what is going on.
Rockefeller, who also wrote the screenplay, delivers a slow-moving, science fiction drama, but the film does not hold up to what it was marketed to be. It takes a lot of time and patience to keep the story going. There is nothing wrong with that; it’s the story that loses its spark. As Rockefeller’s film reaches its climactic ending, it felt like a chore. It doesn’t feel as earned for the character of Remmy and feels very ambiguous and almost made the film incomplete.
Settlers could have aimed for the stars, but due to its poor pacing and dreadfully uninteresting narrative, there isn’t much to take away.
Grade: C-