Original article published September 12, 2019
Director Richard Stanley returns to narrative cinema after more than 20 years withColor out of spacea hypnotic adaptation of HP Lovecraft. Published in 1927, the story remains one of Lovecraft’s most popular works and is said to have been his favorite among his short stories. Stanley brings his love of Lovecraft to the film while adding his personal touch to the tale, creating a unique and inventive experience.
With Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Joely Richardson (Event Horizon), Madeleine Arthur (The magicians), Brendan Meyer (The guest), Julian Hilliard (The Haunting of Hill House), Elliot Knight (Once upon a time), and Tommy Chong (of Cheech and Chong fame),Color out of spacefollows the Gardner family after a meteorite crashes into their farm. The meteorite emits an indescribable color that affects all life nearby in mysterious and terrifying ways. Soon, the family finds themselves fighting for their lives as color spreads across their land, leaving chaos in its wake.
Lovecraftian cosmic horror can be challenging because the creature effects are key. Ask any horror fan and they will happily tell you that practical effects are always better. Fortunately, Stanley relies on practical effects for the film’s most gruesome moments, and the results are truly impressive.
Reminiscent of Rob Bottin’s creature designs forThe thingthe monsters ofColor out of spaceare very effective. CGI is layered over practical effects to enhance them with the main color of the film. However, in some cases the amount of CGI overshadows the practical effects, making it difficult to determine what was physically created.
For the most part,Color out of spacefollows many of the narrative beats of the original short story, although some changes have been made with varying degrees of success. Of course, there are some changes that affect the progression of the plot, but there are also several incidental adjustments that alter the overall tone of the film.
Rather than fill the family farm with generic livestock, Stanley populates it with a herd of alpacas. More often than not, these alpacas serve as a punchline, which can be distracting because they make almost every scene they’re in a little sillier than intended.
Several characters from the source material are combined into a single hydrologist who serves as the film’s scientific catch-all whenever an explanation is needed. It is a bit strange that a hydrologist would be consulted to examine a meteorite or recognize radiation burns on sight, but it is best not to dwell on it. The man clearly knows his science.
There are also a few narrative threads that never really develop into anything and could be removed entirely without affecting the story. They contribute to character development, but they ultimately seem pointless because there are more effective ways to develop the audience’s understanding of these characters without adding unnecessary filler.
What’s even more shocking is the fact that each actor seems to be starring in a different movie. The performances vary wildly in tone and intensity. Nicolas Cage takes center stage in one of his most Cage-esque performances to date, effortlessly switching between a mild-mannered farmer, with an appreciation for good bourbon, and full-blown madness in the blink of an eye. In the face of Cage’s increasingly unbalanced performance, the rest of the cast delivers their dialogue with complete sincerity, creating moments that are often unintentionally hilarious. Rather than match Cage’s eccentric energy, they play it straight, leaving the film with a noticeably uneven tone.
As an adaptation of Lovecraft,Color out of spaceis solid. It’s neither exceptional nor disappointing, although it may not be exactly what audiences expect when they hear the combination of HP Lovecraft, Nicolas Cage and Richard Stanley. It’s hypnotically entertaining, particularly for Cage’s wonderfully over-the-top performance, but overall it could have benefited from a more cohesive vision.
Color out of spacecolors outside the lines to paint its own unique picture, and the end result is an ambitious but messy experience. The film has already been acquired by RJLE Films ahead of its Midnight Madness world premiere. The real question is whether audiences will embrace Stanley’s distinctive vision.
The article TIFF Review: “Color Out of Space” Paints a Messy Picture appeared first on iHorror.
