Attack of the Nerds: Sci-Fi
Science fiction has long been a popular way to explore our hopes and fears against the backdrop of dystopian futures, technological advancements, and explorations of the final frontier. Whether you’re hungry for a battle in space or to dive into the worlds created by your favorite creative thinker, these films are just a few of the many offered here on Film Fresh to satiate your geekiest needs.
Fans of Neill Blomkamp can find both of his popular sci-fi films here on Film Fresh. First up, his startlingly original and gritty DISTRICT 9, starring breakout star Sharlto Copley in a future where aliens have landed, only to be exiled to a slum on the fringes of Johannesburg. When a man discovers the secret to the aliens’ weapon technology, he is hunted through the bizarre back alleys of the extraterrestrial’s shantytown. Anthony Lane of The New Yorker in his review of the film noted, “You don’t feel bamboozled, fooled, or patronized by DISTRICT 9 as you did by most of the summer blockbusters. You feel winded, shaken, and shamed.”
Blomkamp’s most recent release ELYSIUM (2013) shares the societal themes and grittiness of his original work but in a far different world. The story is set in a dystopian future where the wealthiest members of the human race have escaped the cramped, polluted, and desolate remains of Earth to live on a luxurious space station with state of the art medical technology while the rest of the population suffers on the ruined planet. Matt Damon stars as a factory worker, who is forced to take a dangerous mission that could potentially bring equality to the polarized worlds.
Next up, Luc Besson’s LOCKOUT (2012). LOCKOUT offers fun-filled, action adventure in space with plenty of comical one-liners to boot. Besson, who wrote the ever-popular 90s film THE FIFTH ELEMENT, came up with the idea and produced this story that follows a wise-cracking man (Guy Pearce) wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage, who is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president’s daughter (Maggie Grace) from an outer space prison that’s been taken over by violent inmates.
Cult favorite Joss Whedon needs no introduction for fans of his many popular TV shows and films. So of course his film THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012) thrilled his fan base with its genre bending surprises. When five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods, bad things happen, but if you think you know this story, think again. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Bradley Whitford, Amy Acker, and Richard Jenkins—This fright-filled mix of horror and sci-fi will please fans of both genres.
