From the trailer I was expecting an action-packed sci-fi thriller... but I was very misled. What I watched was nearly 2 hours of mind-numbing tedious garbage. Nothing is really ever explained, everyone talks very slowly (I am assuming they are trying to create suspense, but it is very unnatural) - the whole setup just seems very odd and illogical for a group of women scientists preparing to venture into someplace treacherous and unknown.
I will say the special effects and CGI were very good - so it did have spectacular visuals - the only reason I am giving 3 stars. Everything else was either mediocre or awful - and too often illogical.
Spoilers ahead...
Some of the stupid things that happen in the movie:
Despite 3 years of study - sending in teams and drones - running tests at the perimeter - no one inside of a scientific (government?) facility has any information regarding what is going on inside of this bubble-like anomaly encapsulating an area of swamp and coastline - they call it inside "The Shimmer."
A female psychologist plays the tough bad-ass character. Not the paramedic or former soldier - no the psychologist (you would assume a psychologist might be sensitive and sweet). And for some reason this psychologist has been making the decisions regarding who enters this anomaly (a.k.a. The Shimmer). I'm not even sure she is part of the government - which I assumed was in control of the facility because they capture Lena's escaped husband in the beginning third of the movie.
A male soldier's insides have been completely mutated and swirling around like a worm, but somehow he is still alive. Upon seeing this on video, a former paramedic exclaims it was a lighting trick and to not believe what they just saw (Aside: pretty much all of us in the theater burst out laughing).
A former soldier is using night-vision goggles to see out into the dark - but she's standing in the middle of a booth-type structure with the lights on - which obviously would disrupt the ability to use the night-vision goggles.
Cells extracted and plated from Lena's blood are rapidly dividing and mutating, but somehow she is not extremely sick and dying?
The ending is so exceptionally weird that I'm not sure a written description could even come close to accurate. It tries very hard to be artistic and deep / mind-bending, but instead comes off silly and trite.
I will say the special effects and CGI were very good - so it did have spectacular visuals - the only reason I am giving 3 stars. Everything else was either mediocre or awful - and too often illogical.
Spoilers ahead...
Some of the stupid things that happen in the movie:
Despite 3 years of study - sending in teams and drones - running tests at the perimeter - no one inside of a scientific (government?) facility has any information regarding what is going on inside of this bubble-like anomaly encapsulating an area of swamp and coastline - they call it inside "The Shimmer."
A female psychologist plays the tough bad-ass character. Not the paramedic or former soldier - no the psychologist (you would assume a psychologist might be sensitive and sweet). And for some reason this psychologist has been making the decisions regarding who enters this anomaly (a.k.a. The Shimmer). I'm not even sure she is part of the government - which I assumed was in control of the facility because they capture Lena's escaped husband in the beginning third of the movie.
A male soldier's insides have been completely mutated and swirling around like a worm, but somehow he is still alive. Upon seeing this on video, a former paramedic exclaims it was a lighting trick and to not believe what they just saw (Aside: pretty much all of us in the theater burst out laughing).
A former soldier is using night-vision goggles to see out into the dark - but she's standing in the middle of a booth-type structure with the lights on - which obviously would disrupt the ability to use the night-vision goggles.
Cells extracted and plated from Lena's blood are rapidly dividing and mutating, but somehow she is not extremely sick and dying?
The ending is so exceptionally weird that I'm not sure a written description could even come close to accurate. It tries very hard to be artistic and deep / mind-bending, but instead comes off silly and trite.