Movie Reviews

‘2067’ review: Fun sci fi movie expertly works with the familiar

Familiar and fun.

September 30, 2020

2067 sounds like Science Fiction 101. Taking place in the year of the title, the story is set in a future where humans have made the planet all but unlivable. Due to the lack of oxygen, some people walk around wearing masks. A message from the future sends a man named Ethan Whyte (Kodi Smit-McPhee) on a time traveling adventure to save humanity.

If the story sounds cut and try that is because it is. The movie seems content to rely on many of the sci fi tropes that are tried and true. This obviously leads to a lack of surprises in 2067. There are a lot of twists – especially in the film’s third act. Few of them will catch the audience off guard. But is giving the audience exactly what they expect a bad thing?

The quick answer is, no it is not. There are plenty of well received movies that are paint by numbers. Most romantic comedies and big budget action adventure flicks follow a set pattern and deliver on moviegoer expectations. Not only does this not hurt the film’s overall enjoyment, it is usually appreciated. Not every movie wins audiences over by shocking them.

But if a movie is not going to treat people watching to an original story, it has to hit on all cylinders in other ways. 2067 does an admirable job of this. The movie is visually impressive. It does a good job of going from a bleak future to one that it is lush and enlivened. It can be hard to switch between such drastic set pieces but director Seth Larney does so skillfully.

'2067' review: Fun sci fi movie expertly works with the familiar

Special effects are also an important part of any sci fi movie. While 2067 will not win any awards, it looks great for a low budget picture. There is nothing new or groundbreaking here. But what it does have looks better than can be expected. It may not sound like the most ringing endorsement, but it is the difference between having to justify a movie and actually being immersed in it.

A genre as popular and revisited as science fiction can be a difficult one to stand out in. There is just too much comparison. But it also is not always necessary to do so. An enjoyable movie is all most audiences want to see. 2067 is an excellent example of this. While its plot may be too familiar, the performances and special effects may it worth the watch.