{"id":616671,"date":"2023-03-11T08:49:13","date_gmt":"2023-03-11T14:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/11\/65-review-a-simple-bare-bones-sci-fi-thriller\/"},"modified":"2023-03-11T08:49:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-11T14:49:13","slug":"65-review-a-simple-bare-bones-sci-fi-thriller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/11\/65-review-a-simple-bare-bones-sci-fi-thriller\/","title":{"rendered":"65 review: a simple, bare-bones sci-fi thriller"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"h-maincontent\" data-post-id=\"3298413\" data-post-url=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/65-movie-review\/\">\n<header id=\"dt-post-title\">\n<p><cite><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG-4987.jpg?resize=60%2C60&#038;p=1\" alt=\"Alex Welch\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tBy<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/users\/awelch\/\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlex Welch\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<time datetime=\"2023-03-10T19:30:13-08:00\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tMarch 10, 2023 7:30PM\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<article id=\"dt-post-content\" itemid=\"post-content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<div>\n<p><img onerror=\"dti_load_error(this)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Adam-Driver-wears-a-futuristic-spacesuit-in-65.jpg?p=1\" alt=\"Adam Driver wears a futuristic spacesuit in 65.\" decoding=\"async\" skip_size_classes=\"1\" ignore_aspect_ratio=\"1\"  >\t\t<\/p>\n<div>\n<blockquote><p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\u201c65 is a simple but effective sci-fi thriller that, thankfully, doesn&#8217;t overstay its welcome.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\tPros\t\t\t<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAdam Driver&#8217;s committed lead performance\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tA lean 93-minute runtime\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSeveral intense, clever action sequences\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\tCons\t\t\t<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tA messy, unpolished visual style\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAn overly familiar story\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The new movie <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/adam-driver-65-trailer\/\">65<\/a><\/em> is a refreshingly unambitious sci-fi blockbuster.<\/p>\n<p>Written and directed by <em>A Quiet Place<\/em> writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the film is a straightforward, tight thriller that\u2019s interested in little more than forcing its star, Adam Driver, to repeatedly fight a bunch of dinosaurs and other dangerous prehistoric creatures. The film employs no more visual effects than it absolutely needs, and it consistently makes strong use of its real-life environments and locations \u2014 most of which prove to be far more dangerous than they initially seem. In case its tight 93-minute runtime didn\u2019t already make this clear: <em>65<\/em> doesn\u2019t have any franchise aspirations, either.<\/p>\n<p>The film\u2019s world-building is concise and efficiently delivered, and Beck and Woods\u2019 screenplay doesn\u2019t ever seem in danger of becoming obsessed with the kind of fictional minutiae or sci-fi gobbledygook that drag down so many other modern blockbusters. Its safeness and limited scope undoubtedly prevent <em>65<\/em> from rising to any truly great heights. However, there\u2019s also something thrilling about the way <em>65<\/em> calls back to the days in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/5-upcoming-science-fiction-movies-in-2023\/\">Hollywood\u2019s sci-fi blockbusters<\/a> could still be self-contained adventures that ask no more of their viewers than 90 minutes of their undivided attention.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3298530\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3298530\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Adam-Driver-holds-a-futuristic-scanner-in-65.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\" onerror=\"dti_load_error(this)\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Adam Driver holds a futuristic scanner in 65.\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Adam-Driver-holds-a-futuristic-scanner-in-65.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3298530\"><span>Patti Perret\/Sony Pictures Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As is alluded to by its title, <em>65<\/em> takes place around 65 million years ago and centers on Mills (Driver), a work-for-hire space pilot from a distant, technologically advanced planet. The film\u2019s simple opening scene establishes Mills\u2019 decision to take on a two-year transport mission in order to pay for the expensive medical treatments needed by his sick daughter, Nevine (Chloe Coleman). In its next scene, <em>65<\/em> catches up with Mills\u2019 fateful mission as it\u2019s upended by an asteroid field that damages Mills\u2019 ship and sends him and his passengers crashing onto a nearby, uncharted terrestrial planet.<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of the crash, Mills discovers that all but one of his cryogenically asleep passengers were killed by the destruction of his ship. Mills finds and wakes up the crash\u2019s only other survivor, a young foreign girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), who unfortunately doesn\u2019t speak the same language as Driver\u2019s skilled pilot. Determined to make sure that Koa gets back home safely, Mills takes her on a multiday journey to his ship\u2019s escape vessel, which landed over a dozen kilometers away from where he and Koa ended up.<\/p>\n<p>Along the way, Beck and Woods reveal that Mills hasn\u2019t crash-landed on just any terrestrial planet, but Earth itself. Mills is, therefore, forced throughout his and Koa\u2019s journey to use his scientifically advanced weaponry to fight off a wide range of deadly prehistoric creatures. In what likely won\u2019t come as much of a surprise to anyone who has seen anything even remotely similar to <em>65<\/em>, Mills and Koa\u2019s journey also results in the two characters gradually forming an intensely trusting, if unconventional, bond.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3298531\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3298531\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Mills-and-Koa-stand-in-a-cave-together-in-65.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\" onerror=\"dti_load_error(this)\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mills and Koa stand in a cave together in 65.\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Mills-and-Koa-stand-in-a-cave-together-in-65.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3298531\"><span>Patti Perret\/Sony Pictures Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite what its dramatic opening title reveal would like you to believe, <em>65<\/em> is nowhere near as original as it thinks. Driver\u2019s casting as Mills makes the film\u2019s twist on a typical uncharted planet premise easy to accept, and <em>65<\/em> doesn\u2019t have any more truly subversive tricks hidden up its sleeves. The film spends the bulk of its runtime following Mills and Koa as they encounter a series of dangerous creatures and obstacles over the course of their journey together. The film\u2019s straightforward, obstacle-driven structure results in it feeling a bit repetitive in its second and third acts, which only makes the thinness of <em>65<\/em>\u2019s story feel that much more apparent at times.<\/p>\n<p>There is, however, something uncomplicatedly thrilling about watching <em>65<\/em>\u2019s heroes come face-to-face with increasingly difficult challenges and still overcome them with their own brute force and intellect. There are moments throughout <em>65<\/em> in which Beck and Woods demonstrate the same knack for action storytelling that they did in <em>A Quiet Place<\/em>. That\u2019s particularly true of one sequence in which Driver\u2019s Mills is forced to fix his dislocated shoulder before a pack of dangerous, raptor-like dinosaurs get the chance to rip him and Koa apart.<\/p>\n<p>Woods and Beck\u2019s economical approach to <em>65<\/em>\u2019s story also allows the pair to make the most out of Mills\u2019 various futuristic weapons. The duo often avoids relying on exposition by simply letting viewers watch Mills put his gadgets to use, as he does during one sequence in which he places a series of glowing markers around his and Koa\u2019s camping spot. The character\u2019s decision to place the markers where he does makes their purpose clear long before their yellow, pulsing lights turn red and Mills begins looking around in fear for any approaching creatures.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3298537\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3298537\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Adam-Driver-stands-near-a-dinosaur-skeleton-in-65.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\" onerror=\"dti_load_error(this)\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Adam Driver stands near a dinosaur skeleton in 65.\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Adam-Driver-stands-near-a-dinosaur-skeleton-in-65.jpg?fit=720%2C480&#038;p=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3298537\"><span>Patti Perret\/Sony Pictures Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Beck and Woods\u2019 visual style isn\u2019t nearly as refined as their storytelling. There are numerous moments throughout <em>65<\/em> when the duo\u2019s uneven mix of general coverage shots and dim lighting makes it difficult to maintain a clear sense of the film\u2019s physical spaces. One underground showdown between Mills and an unidentified dinosaur is particularly confusing to watch due to both the overwhelming darkness throughout it and its lack of establishing wide shots. Beck and Woods bring much more control to some of <em>65<\/em>\u2019s other action sequences, but the duo\u2019s visual style nonetheless comes across as disappointingly rough and messy during certain sections of the film.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately for it, <em>65<\/em> is luckier than most other Hollywood blockbusters because it\u2019s led by Driver, a performer who is willing to bring the same level of commitment to films like <em>65<\/em> as he does to the more grounded dramas he typically stars in. Driver\u2019s performance as Mills is so unsentimental and to the point that it ensures that the character\u2019s rare moments of emotional vulnerability land with real force. In a way, the cut-and-dry nature of Driver\u2019s performance is ultimately a reflection of <em>65<\/em> itself, a film that understands how even the most pared-down version of a story can still be compelling and entertaining if told with enough passion and focus.<\/p>\n<p>65<em> is now playing in theaters.<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>\n\tEditors&#8217; Recommendations<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/oscar-winning-sci-fi-movies-you-need-to-watch\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t5 Oscar-winning sci-fi movies you should watch\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-sci-fi-movies-on-hulu\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tThe best sci-fi movies on Hulu right now\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/rosaline-review\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tRosaline review: Kaitlyn Dever lifts up Hulu\u2019s Romeo and Juliet rom-com riff\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/amsterdam-review\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tAmsterdam review: An exhausting, overlong conspiracy thriller\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/tar-review\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tT\u00e1r review: Cate Blanchett soars in Todd Field\u2019s ambitious new drama\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span id=\"publisher-md\" itemprop=\"publisher\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"url\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"logo\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.dtcn.com\/dt\/dt-logo-small.png\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"0\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"0\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Digital Trends\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"image\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Adam-Driver-wears-a-futuristic-spacesuit-in-65.jpg?p=1\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tVesper review: an imaginative sci-fi adventure\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Raffiella-Chapman-walks-through-a-swamp-with-a-floating-robot-in-Vesper.jpg?resize=625%2C417&#038;p=1\" alt=\"Raffiella Chapman walks through a dystopian swamp alongside a flying drone in Vesper.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Raffiella-Chapman-walks-through-a-swamp-with-a-floating-robot-in-Vesper.jpg?resize=625%2C417&#038;p=1\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Vesper does a lot with a little. Despite being made on an obviously lower budget than most other modern sci-fi movies, the new film from directors Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper takes place in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world that feels more well-realized, vivid, and imaginative than any of Hollywood\u2019s current cinematic universes do. While its premise doesn\u2019t do much to sell Vesper as a unique entry into the dystopian sci-fi genre, either, it doesn\u2019t take long for its fictional alternate reality to emerge as a striking new vision of the future.<\/p>\n<p>The film&#8217;s opening shot throws viewers headfirst into a swampy, gray world that seems, at first, to be perpetually covered in fog. It&#8217;s an image that makes Vesper\u2019s connections to other industrialized sci-fi films like Stalker undeniably, palpably clear. However, once Vesper escapes the foggy wasteland of its opening scene, it begins to flesh out its futuristic reality with rich shades of greens and colorful plants that breathe and reach out toward any living thing that comes close to them. While watching the film does, therefore, often feel like you\u2019re being led on a tour through an industrial hellscape, it also feels, at times, like a trip down the rabbit hole and straight into Wonderland.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/vesper-movie-review\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tRead more\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tEntergalactic review: a simple but charming animated romance\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/102_011_0060_marketingStill_v61.jpg?resize=625%2C417&#038;p=1\" alt=\"Three dudes cheer on a rooftop in Entergalactic.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/102_011_0060_marketingStill_v61.jpg?resize=625%2C417&#038;p=1\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Entergalactic isn\u2019t like most other animated movies that you\u2019ll see this year \u2014 or any year, for that matter. The film, which was created by Scott Mescudi a.k.a. Kid Cudi and executive producer Kenya Barris, was originally intended to be a TV series. Now, it\u2019s set to serve as a 92-minute companion to Cudi\u2019s new album of the same name. That means Entergalactic not only attempts to tell its own story, one that could have easily passed as the plot of a Netflix original rom-com, but it does so while also featuring several sequences that are set to specific Cudi tracks.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the film\u2019s musical elements, Entergalactic is also far more adult than viewers might expect it to be. The film features several explicit sex scenes and is as preoccupied with the sexual politics of modern-day relationships as it is in, say, street art or hip-hop. While Entergalactic doesn\u2019t totally succeed in blending all of its disparate elements together, the film\u2019s vibrantly colorful aesthetic and infectiously romantic mood make it a surprisingly sweet, imaginative tour through a fairytale version of New York City.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/entergalactic-review\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tRead more\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tGod\u2019s Creatures review: an overly restrained Irish drama\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Paul-Mescal-standing-outside-a-house-with-Emily-Watson-in-Gods-Creatures.jpg?resize=625%2C417&#038;p=1\" alt=\"Paul Mescal stands outside a house with Emily Watson in God's Creatures.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" previous-src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Paul-Mescal-standing-outside-a-house-with-Emily-Watson-in-Gods-Creatures.jpg?resize=625%2C417&#038;p=1\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>From its chaotic, underwater first frame all way to its liberating, sun-soaked final shot, God\u2019s Creatures\u00a0is full of carefully composed images. There\u2019s never a moment across the film\u2019s modest 94-minute runtime in which it feels like co-directors Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer aren\u2019t in full control of what\u2019s happening on-screen. Throughout much of God\u2019s Creatures\u2019 quietly stomach-churning second act, that sense of directorial control just further heightens the tension that lurks beneath the surface of the film\u2019s story.<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0God&#8217;s Creatures&#8217; third act, however, Holmer and Davis\u2019 steady grip becomes a stranglehold, one that threatens to choke all the drama and suspense out of the story they\u2019re attempting to tell. Moments that should come across as either powerful punches to the gut or overwhelming instances of emotional relief are so underplayed that they are robbed of much of their weight. God&#8217;s Creatures, therefore, ultimately becomes an interesting case study on artistic restraint, and, specifically, how too calculated a style can, if executed incorrectly, leave a film feeling unsuitably cold.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/gods-creatures-review\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tRead more\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/65-movie-review\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Alex Welch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Alex Welch March 10, 2023 7:30PM \u201c65 is a simple but effective sci-fi thriller that, thankfully, doesn&#8217;t overstay its welcome.\u201d Pros Adam Driver&#8217;s committed lead performance A lean 93-minute runtime Several intense, clever action sequences Cons A messy, unpolished visual style An overly familiar story The new movie 65 is a refreshingly unambitious sci-fi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":616672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[661,2654,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-616671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-review","category-simple","category-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/616672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=616671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=616671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}