Prospect
Director: Christopher Caldwell & Zeek Earl
Writer: Christopher Caldwell & Zeek Earl
Music: Daniel L.K. Caldwell
Cinematographer: Zeek Earl
Production Designer: Matt Acosta
Studio: Depth of Field, Ground Control, BRON Studios, Shep Films
Distributor: Gunpowder & Sky
Prospect may at first seem a little light on character development for such a sparsely cast feature. I am willing to accept that this particular story is not so much about what the central characters bring with them, but more about how they adapt to the circumstances presented. In that, lead Sophie Thatcher lays down a deceptively nuanced performance as Cee, the teenage daughter of Jay Duplass’ Damon. Thatcher and Duplass are well matched and deftly portray an incensed reticence, seemingly inherent to any contentious parental relationship in this type of environment.
The film opens with the pair in transit. Drawn to the promise of a life changing windfall in the Queen’s Lair, Damon has taken on a questionable claim over Cee’s reservations. As terrestrial prospectors, jaunting from world to world hunting for precious Aurelac deposits, the slightest miscalculation can lead to catastrophe. Damon and Cee subsist in a single, low-end pod and must provide for their own welfare in every way as it is ferried between planets by interplanetary freighters. We are given the impression that the duo has traipsed the razors edge for some time with tales to tell and cynicism on tap.
Pedro Pascal also stands out as the astutely observant and intriguing claim jumper Ezra. He is an opportunist, killer, and antagonist of sorts to the father/daughter team. While his performance probably succeeds in aligning the western theme more that any singular character contribution, I don’t know that Pascal’s accent or verbosity are necessary or even believable here. Honestly, if that’s the most glaring misstep in the movie, it hardly matters. For some, his performance may call to mind a very dry and pragmatic version of Firefly‘s Malcolm Reynolds, though Ezra is more the stalwart brigand than plucky outlaw, and the film is all the better for Pascal’s take on the character.
Prospect is certainly a stripped down affair, although owing in immersive fidelity to some impressive visual effects and practical fabrication. In fact, I feel like the versatility and improvisation of the production team around set and costume design and practical effects is very much a strength of the project. From the generic, thoroughly inhabited landing pods and well-worn exploration suits, to the apparently DIY firearms, the production design really oozes a very basic, utilitarian authenticity. So much care was taken to cement this kind of bootstrapping motif in a way that lends a lot of credibility to the prospecting parallel.
Prospect is a film with no time to waste. Clocking in just shy of 100 minutes, it’s about as lean as good space-faring science fiction can get. In the hands of directing team Christopher Caldwell and Zeek Earl I would say the run-time certainly works in their favor, as the duo have excelled in crafting a very taunt and engrossing film grounded with meticulous world-building and punctuated with strong performances. While not entirely above reproach, Prospect is a compelling effort about grit, tenacity, and perseverance at the bottom of the barrel. It dances coyly around the existential dilemma, revealing just enough backstory that we know it rests indelibly on the periphery in these characters minds, and yet the film manages to retain a surprisingly endearing optimism. Witnessing the personal discoveries Cee and Ezra are forced to realize in the unlikeliest of places, among the direst of circumstances, is truly something to behold.
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Christian Davenport
cable201@comicattack.net
