Earthrise (2014) User Reviews

Indie SciFi - complex and slow - opportunities missed

[xodarap-mp-cdes · 4/10 · 15 November 2015]

I would not be as brash as the other negative reviews here; as long as you don't mind the plot unfolding sloooowwwwlly you should watch it yourself and make up your own mind. This is not an action movie although there is the occasional bout of interpersonal shouting, shoving, attempted thumping or incompetent wrestling. It is a drama which takes place on a spaceship traveling from Mars to Earth, the three persons on board having little to do in the way of work apart from minor inspection and maintenance duties.

My complaint is that as a psychological drama it doesn't break any new ground but misses opportunities to explore the what, how, and why of the hallucinations the, (in my view very young) crew members experience. Yes, the screen play uses flash backs and a lot of hopping back and forward in the story time line to show each character's subjective experience and I presume that is in order *not* to be a mundane and boring narrative; we the viewers have to work it all out for ourselves. By and large the movie lets us do this, but these three characters are supposed to be the intellectual cream of the crop of university aged students in a future human society on Mars. That being so it seems unlikely that they would all be so naive and lacking in insight concerning the fact of them each having hallucinations.

Even if they were all hopeless geeks it beggars belief that the company or government department running the Revitalize Earth project would leave them to run amok on such an expensive spaceship without benefit of some comprehensive training in psychological theory and practice. In other words they would have been discussing their situation in a more rational and insightful way rather than just bickering like a bunch of gormless primary school kids

Sad

[karenfrance · 3/10 · 14 October 2018]

It was almost like found footage. There was really no point to the movie. The whole movie was about three people seeing things and fighting about it.

It's not that bad ...

[lorraineesimpson · 5/10 · 18 November 2017]

I'll get the negatives out of the way first. This film is low budget with a limited story line and a weak script. The acting is pretty dodgy, mainly from the male character to be fair. The two women were not that bad, and given a decent script and story to work with I think they would do OK.

So for the positives. There's not a lot of action really and I found the first half hour pretty unbearable but I did stick with it and I have to admit it ended up not too bad. I was curious to see how it ended and I actually quite liked the ending. I like the ambition of this film, despite the low budget (about £50 I think!) it does its best to create tension and atmosphere and sometimes almost succeeds therefore I've given it 5 for effort. I suspect most people will hate it but it has a certain charm ...

Horrible camera-work and editing ruin an already flawed movie even more

[freqeteq · 2/10 · 18 October 2015]

When I saw the opening shot to Earthrise one thing sprung to mind, that the positive reviews here applauding the beautiful cinematography and directing in this movie were probably all written by people associated with the production of the film, so what else did these people say about the movie that also wasn't true? Turns out quite a lot.

The entire movie is set on a spaceship with a crew of three people, but unfortunately the sets are as unbelievable as the acting is. The acting isn't the worst I've seen, but for a movie with only three characters to pull us in it just wasn't good enough to make me believe in those characters.

The sets are very basic looking, bland and empty, if I didn't know it was set on a spaceship I never would have guessed it by just looking at the sets. And every room has a Jackson Pollock type painting on at least one wall because I guess it's the future and that's how cargo spaceships are decorated? No one has photos of friends or family on the wall, the touch screens and TV's that we see everywhere today seem to have totally disappeared in the future only to be replaced by Jackson Pollock paintings.

The directing and camera-work is what really ruined this movie for me. The editing leaves you scratching your head in places, it gives the impression that someone with ADD was in charge of it. There are 36 camera cuts in one minute in a scene where 3 people are sitting around a dinner table having a mundane boring conversation, that's the type of fast paced editing reserved for action and fight scenes, not slow conversations over breakfast. Lots of little errors as well, the camera is following a character walking down a corridor with a door on their left, then the camera turns around to look at them from the front but the door stays on the same side of the shot, obviously because the corridor set only has one end so both shots have to be taken from the same end. Not a huge deal, but for people who notice things like that there are quite a few of them in this movie, maybe you could do a drinking game with them?

The story and special effects are both adequate, though there are only 3 or 4 VERY short effects shots in the entire movie and none of them are standout, and by short I mean 2-3 seconds if that. The story is nothing new and holds few surprises, but it turned out not being the insult to my intelligence that I thought it was going to be.

Not the worst movie I've ever seen, pretty close though, a real amateurish effort especially with the set design, directing, editing and cinematography. I would not recommend this movie and instead would suggest to anyone thinking of watching it to instead watch Sunshine, Pandorum or Cargo which are all way better constructed thrillers set in space.

2/10 - note to filmmakers - next time you make a science fiction movie on a budget why not borrow a couple of iPads and stick them inside futuristic looking cases that you've painted silver and have the characters use them a couple of times during the movie? Give us the impression that they're in the future using technology and not just on a ship full of empty rooms and Jackson Pollock paintings.

Sci-fi without a purpose

[nedjeffery · 2/10 · 30 November 2018]

This movie has bad acting, bad sets, bad makeup, bad camera work, bad editing, etc. But it's low budget, so what do you expect. All that could have been forgiven, If it wasn't for the god awful pointless script.

There are plot holes that you could drive a truck through. There are sections of dialog that completely contradict themselves in the time from starting a sentence, to finishing it. The character motivations are poorly defined and pointless. The scenes are not in chronological order. They jump around without any discernible orientation (did this thing happen before that other scene, or after it?). This technique is completely irrelevant to the story telling element. There are plenty of hints of foreshadowing, like there was going to be some big reveal that would explain the editing and bring everything together. Needless to say, I was profoundly disappointed at the lack of a payoff.

This is probably the worst sci-fi I have ever seen. Plan 9 from outer space was more coherent than this.

agree with review by Arthur Facteau

[tangoscash · 1/10 · 18 October 2015]

this easily should be rated a 3 out of 10! the current 5.1 is far too generous, heck even a 3 is generous. the opening scene was pretty indicative of how poorly it was all put together so i really didn't need to torture myself for another 40 minutes until i finally could not take it anymore. i am quite certain i have seen better camera work on Youtube from 12 year old's, yea it really is that bad. anyone rating this above 3 stars is either easy to please or is involved with the project in some way, is a fake review or was payed or influenced to put something on here to skew the vote. pathetic. Unfortunate, because we see this a lot here on IMDb especially with lower budget movies like this one being a perfect example. if you really have nothing better to do, you can always see it for yourself but be warned, this is utter garbage!

Unusual story

[Jackbv123 · 1/10 · 2 August 2017]

I've checked spoilers even though I don't think I give anything away.

You've read all the negatives about the production and acting quality. It's all true.

On the positive side, there are several mysteries we encounter through the movie. Unexplained things are happening, not to mention the opening scene. We are given lots of little clues. That's what kept me going. The trouble is that when it is all over, some of it really isn't explained and what is explained doesn't make sense. This is just a very bad movie.

I have complaints about the story that aren't really related to the outcome. The crew is told that video conference privileges will be restricted for a year. Only trouble is, video conferences cannot take place between earth and Mars. The communication delay due to the speed of light makes it impossible. Video messages can be sent. So the issue is mute.

Preflight interviews are shown. Based on what we see, some or all of these people should have been disqualified.

Their technology must be fantastic. They can make the trip in 7 days. They have huge cabins and long corridors. They have full gravity.

The crew doesn't act like they are only a couple days away from landing. Any normal person would be counting down to arrival constantly. These people act like they are on a long journey - months, not days. Of course if they had counted down, it would have given away too much.

going back to earth from mars..... don't.

[lawleekennedy · 1/10 · 26 December 2015]

Perhaps this was a thesis film.

It reminded me of community theater. Not because of the acting, but because the sets were sappy at best. The lighting was sophomoric, the camera work was struggling.

The actors were clearly not to blame. Directors need more insight.

And to the person who compared this to early Star Trek -- please at least review the scripts from early Star Trek television productions. We cared about the characters in Star Trek. in Earthrise - nope.

Try again.

Read more.

Edit yourself.

Amazon -- Stop showing student films.

A strange film

[blumdeluxe · 4/10 · 20 February 2017]

What I was hoping for when I decided to watch "Earthrise" was a movie about characters exploring a totally unknown world. Our world. That's really not what I got. While this doesn't necessarily have to be a problem if the film is decent, this time I feel like it lost me.

99% of the movie take place on the spaceship that is supposed to bring the Martians back to Earth. Over time, the once stable crew members develop strange habits and start to hallucinate, leading not only to discomfort but also to inner tension.

Thereby it combines many elements of a classic alien splatter movie rather than really dealing with science fiction, which could be a cause of the wish to include too many bigger topics. At times the characters don't behave believable, making it hard for the actors to conquer the audience.

All in all it just wasn't my film. It's not horrible and I'm quite certain some people will have a lot of fun with it, but I believe that you could have developed a better movie based on the general idea.

Earthrise-Not worth the time.

[facteau579 · 1/10 · 12 October 2015]

I love good Science Fiction. That say's it all, 'Good' Science Fiction. Something that will have a story worth paying attention to, that will not bore me to tears.

Some will say that I have no business sending in a review, as I did not watch the entire movie, but sometimes it would seem, less is more. This is one of those cases. After 20 minutes, I decided life was too short to waste any more time.

Really can't see how this won any awards...

You can take a chance, see if you like it, as it would seem some have liked it, and maybe they are either easy to please, I maybe I am just too damn picky, you will have to decide for yourself.

Indie sci-fi film that engrosses you without you realizing it.

[hannahmaharrey · 9/10 · 16 October 2015]

The budget might have been low on this film, but the production value is not. An impressive amount of time and effort went into crafting this indie sci-fi film. The visual and audio effects are especially notable, and the editing is fluid and keeps the story continuously progressing right up to the finale. This movie proves that indie filmmakers with a narrative they are passionate about can make a full length feature that is just as interesting and dynamic as any big Hollywood production company. Great tie in with the legendary Apollo 8 photograph "Earthrise." Demonstrates that inspiration can come from anywhere and with enough creativity it can lead to a awesome project like this one.

I LOVED the concept but......

[vicky_renee · 6/10 · 5 April 2022]

That's what attracted me to wanted to watch this. Going to the Earth we know.

It would have been WAY better having them explore Earth then to end it like that.

I wish someone would come up with a movie with that concept.

Less than the sum of its parts

[semicharm · 3/10 · 20 November 2016]

Three crew members are on a mission from a future Mars colony to a failed Earth, and along the way they start acting strange. After a close call with an asteroid, they discover something unusual in the cargo hold.

Overall, Earthrise is a huge disappointment. Even judging it by its low-budget indie peers, nothing in the film rates above a 5/10. The sets, lighting, cinematography serve their purpose, but noting notable. The only highlights are that the actors' performances occasionally raise above the material they're given. Also the score sometimes hits the right emotional note to heighten the tension, but other times misses it entirely. What most defines Earthrise is editing and plot. Non-linear storytelling is an artform rarely done well. In the hands of a master, it adds an extra dimension to the film, but generally it's just a tacky veneer to distract from an otherwise thin plot--and the plot of Earthrise is as hollow as a cracked bell.

One thing that becomes clear early on is that some of the events are put together out of order. For instance: between scene cuts, Marshall suddenly has a band-aid on his forehead without explanation. The actual scene where the accident occurs comes later. Also throughout the film are recorded interviews with the three crew members prior to their mission, and others who completed it. Though the interviews provide an interesting contrast between what the crew believe themselves to be and who they really are, the latter serves better as a Three Stooges revival. They're lucky that their ship is on autopilot, because it would be a smoking crater if they had to land it.

The core elements of a thriller are tension and payoff--Earthrise almost never does. The opening summary might sound like an interesting movie, if a bit cliché. However, Earthrise manages to take anything noteworthy and blows it out an airlock.

**If you read everything up till now and still have a vague twinge of curiosity, you can stop reading...and maybe smack yourself with a frying pan till the feeling subsides. If I've otherwise managed to dissuade you from watching this slow-burning train wreck, you'll soon thank me.**

The part about Mars and Earth is merely pretense; none of that really affects the plot. Much of what we learn about the crew through the interviews is largely tossed to the cold vacuum of space as well--they all equally go nuts by the end. They start acting strange and having hallucinations, but never investigate why. A collision with an asteroid would usually be a disaster, but the trio make it through with merely a scratch. Nothing a band-aid can't fix. (Not even Johnson & Johnson could save this plot.) The broken crate they find in the cargo hold looks more like an animal cage, but all that's left inside are Mars rocks. What was really in it? No idea, they never follow up on that one either. In fact, their only concern is not reporting *anything* back to Mars out of fear of the mission being called off. In the real world, they'd be judged more by how they deal with the situation than the crisis itself.

Why did Mars pick these three stooges for this mission? I honestly don't care. *Nothing* really happens.

I don't get it

[alfredfreitas-113-134780 · 3/10 · 23 April 2016]

I watched the entire movie hoping that at the end the entire movie would make some kind of sense. Boy was I disappointed.

It almost seemed as if the events in the film were random, meaningless, pointless and contrived. Unexplained "visions", with no apparent connection to the plot (one might ask "what plot"), a box of reddish rocks (presumably from Mars) causing hallucinations on the ship (and why are rocks being taken from Mars to Earth and why don't they cause hallucinations on Mars?).

The editing was frantic at best and, to me, uninteresting and dull at worst. Editing does not replace good story telling (one might ask "what story telling?)

I did read all the other reviews before I wrote this review and wondered if I had watched a different movie. This film was in no way a groundbreaking innovation nor a better version of "what it's like to be bored to death on a long space flight". I simply don't get how the reviewers came to their high praises of this pointless work.

The actors, for the most part, did their best with the material but it appears the director totally let them down. They are the only reason I didn't give this film a lower rating.

The sets also left a lot to be desired. There seemed to be an awful lot of wasted space on the space ship without any apparent reason. The lack of any, and mean any, modern technology on a space ship defies imagination. We are asked to suspend disbelief while engaging a work of art but we should get at least a little help from the artist.

Overall, this film is just not worth the time I took out of my life to watch it.

Earthrise is engaging.

[ericfadams · 23 March 2016]

I really enjoy this film and I am not a big sci-fiction guru. There's a light touch with details and applied with a subtle touch. The acting was solid. The cinematography was unique and appealing. Outstanding sound. Nice pace that builds. It reminds me a lot of Shane Carruth's Primer (2004). Both are small budget, yet pack a big punch. Yes, there is a chance that you might not like this movie. That's because it is not a movie made for the majority of paying cinema goers, but it is a movie made for the sake of movie making. It is an original, so if you want something that you are used to see and expect beginning and ending in a specific way don't go watching this one. I will finish by saying you must tip your hat to any film maker who takes on such a complex storyline on a small budget. Low budget sci-fiction's usually don't work but somehow the Director Glenn Payne pulls it off. It's a thumbs up for me.

These actors are awful!

[numbahunna · 2/10 · 7 August 2020]

The acting is unbearably bad. I mean, seriously awful

Bad writting.

[Seb-Neg · 3/10 · 9 July 2021]

Nowhere in the story explains where the hallucinations came from. The end left me to arrive at my own conclusion that they all died of hypoxia while in transit and the white light that came from the door was the afterlife.

A more 70s style sci fi film

[viknesh-silva · 5/10 · 28 May 2019]

This film is more of the 60s or 70s style sci fi movie where CGI is not the main attraction but the story and atmosphere. I would call it a sci fi drama. Go into with the expectation of watching human drama with a sci fi setting rather than the other way around.

Well Done Film

[bkeister3 · 9/10 · 15 October 2015]

I've always loved sci-fi, and Earthrise really surprised me. Glenn Payne has written & directed a fantastic story. The acting is solid as well.

The real treat, for me, is the cinematography. It's beautifully shot, and has some great sets, which is impressive given the budget. One reviewer noted the methods from Star Wars that were utilized, and lack of green screen use, and I, too, found that impressive.

If you like terrific indie sci-fi, then do yourself a favor and check this film out. You won't be disappointed. Congrats to the cast & crew on their success!

Solid Story Told With Care

[needsmooreleland-89124 · 7/10 · 15 October 2015]

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this film when I rented it on Google Play and while it isn't perfect, I was pleasantly surprised.

Earthrise won't be for everyone. It is paced fairly slowly (though for the most part the director keeps it from dragging by telling the story out of order) and some of the props/wardrobe/effects show the limited budget. There is an odd hiccup in pace near the end and some won't find the payoff satisfactory, but I enjoyed the ambiguity.

The story may unfold slowly, but it touches on themes that resonated with my friends and I, the need to let go of your past, the feeling like you are where you're meant to be and the conflicting obligations to a bigger cause and personal obligations. The three main actors handled their parts well, particularly the two leading ladies. The director made some interesting choices with the framing and cinematography and good lighting elevated some of the more tedious scenes.

Overall, it was a decent watch and a good first feature. It left me with a good mix of questions and answers. Worth a viewing.

Great looking indie film

[ajsiii2002 · 10/10 · 22 July 2015]

The sets look great, especially considering the limited budget. Solid acting, directing, cinematography, and special effects. This movie shares a fictional universe with another indie film, "Ozland", which involves some of the same people (not characters).

Storywise, the main characters are part of a team sent to a devastated Earth, unsure of what awaits them. Blurred lines leave the audience to decide for themselves what is real and what is fantasy. The ending is ambiguous, and capable of multiple interpretations.

There are multiple cameo appearances by local actors, but the three main characters carry the movie. If you like Sci-Fi, be sure to give this film a chance.

The expectations game

[David-W-Warfield · 7/10 · 15 March 2016]

Earthrise has that quality, I think, of throwing viewers off who go in expecting star wars or alien or gravity etc, and don't know how to react when they see a piece of indie cinema/ art. It's what some call understanding the film's "level of ambition." That is to say, we don't judge "Snakes on a Plane" by the same criteria we judge, say, "Schindler's List." I liked the film, and also appreciated that a low-budget indie would even attempt a space movie! The resourcefulness and off-center narrative I find refreshing, compared to the overblown and dumbed-down mainstream fare. I suspect the negative reviewers wold feel the same way about Solaris (original or re-make) because it is "slow," etc. I also find that films with ambiguous narrative - where cause and effect, linear story, and by-the-numbers clear explanations of everything are not offered, tend to put off some viewers -- resulting in those trite one-word reviews like "slow," "boring," "bad," etc. Earthrise is not for everyone, nor should it be. Less receptive viewers who can't sit still for more than 5 minutes at a time will have a problem with it, perhaps. Personally, I prefer to think, and figure out or interpret for myself, and I don't need fireworks every minute to be interested in a story. The only real sin a film can commit is to be boring - but boring means different things to different people. I was not bored, and I liked the film. I can tell what does bore me: Transformers, Fantastic Four, and other noisy disaster/ apocalyptic junk films from Hollywood.

Great sci-fi film

[dalfilms · 10/10 · 14 October 2015]

From Director/ Writer Glenn Payne

Great film about a mission home to earth! Living in space can break down the mind and it is beautifully shown through the cinematography, direction, and story of the film. Watch this awesome science fiction thriller unfold through plot turns and in- depth character development!

The sets are all practical and methods of filmmaking from Star Wars were used. Not one green screen shot in the film with the characters, that's impressive!

The film explores themes of love, paranoia and home.

Recommended to any science fiction fan!

innovative indie sci-fi

[turrou-66-907048 · 7/10 · 26 October 2019]

I've never seen a micro-budget indie sci-fi movie, and I thought they did a great job creating a believable world within their constraints. The production value is great, and they even pull off some good action scenes. It takes advantage of the claustrophobic caught-on-a-spaceship trope to create a sci-fi thriller for an indie take on 2001 and Alien. It's exciting to see what indie filmmakers are doing now that the cost of filmmaking is within reach, and this movie is a great example.

great science fiction indie

[freyamoran · 9/10 · 28 September 2019]

This was a great story and concept. For a indie film I thought they did a great job making a sci-fi film, which i think is hard to do on a limited budget. The cinematography was great. And i loved that they did a good job at making me feel claustrophobic at times. If you like science fiction then worth the watch!