Color Out Of Space

8/10 - Check It Out

Since this is the first review, I will explain my basic format in case you missed it in the welcome. First thing in the review is the movies score, that's what we are all here for, right? There are two different rankings. The first is a score of 1-10; pretty straightforward, a 10 is a masterpiece and a 0 is something with absolutely no redeeming features. The other rating is my original and patent pending 5 level system: 1) Skip 2) Rent 3) Check It Out 4) Opening Day 5) MUST SEE THE MOFO! Again, pretty easy to figure it out. Each review will feature language relative to the movies rating (R rated language in R rated movies, G rated for G movies). Finally, there will NEVER be spoilers in any reviews. Without further ado, let's get into it.

Wow. What a weird and wonderful movie. Color Out Of Space is a cosmic horror retelling of the classic H. P. Lovecraft short story first published in 1927. It is the story of a rural farmer, played by America's national treasure, Nicolas Cage, whose farm and life is upturned when a meteorite crash lands in his front yard. The world then begins to descend into cosmic horror and insanity as the meteorite begins to interact and influence the world and inhabitants around it. It's an incredibly fun movie and an excellent adaption of Lovecraft's legendary short story. Color Out Of Space is a bit of a slow build but holy shit do things get wild and as delightfully weird as any fan of Lovecraft or horror would want.

I have been reading and enjoying Lovecraft's stories for many years now and really recommend his writing. Many people are unknowingly familiar with Lovecraft's creations: the cosmic entity Cthulhu, deadly alien cults, the genre of cosmic horror itself and of course the infamous Necronomicon. He uses our own fear of a vast and truly infinite unknown to utterly terrify the reader. Lovecraft may have been an awful person (not may, he was a horrible racist) but his stories are fantastically rich and can be incredibly rewarding to the reader as he forces each person to really engage and imagine their own nightmare/monster. The movie therefore has the massively difficult job of showing something that is only vaguely described in the source material and even then often as a strange, indescribable hue that conjures inexplicable feelings. Somehow, through absolutely incredible effects and acting, the movie delivers a sense of slow impeding doom brought on by something which we would have no possible way of knowing what it is, what it wants, if it wants, what is its purpose, or anything else at all. We are left in the same dark as the characters, with only the strange colored light to see, which makes their journey even more personal, relatable, impactful and intense.

The movie isn't perfect, the writing and acting can snag at times and the ending could use one or two extra jabs to deliver a true masterpiece. But hot damn, is it a fun ride. The scares are few, and for the most part not particularly intense, but a constant sense of unease haunts the film. A terrifying sense of something malicious and unknown hangs around the viewer like a miasmas - just like the very colored fog that clings to the land around the farm itself. The acting is phenomenal, particularly by Nic Cage who is so much fun to watch as he becomes increasingly unhinged as only he can do. It might be the perfect role for him. The wife, played by Joely Richardson, does a fantastic job and shows some serious depth. Surprisingly, the movie is also pretty damn funny. Tommy Chong has a great role and the whole movie has an absurdity to it that perfectly suits the strange jokes and Nic Cage's battle for sanity.

The special effects of Color Out Of Space are the power house here and they are absolutely top notch. Some of the things seen on screen are clearly heavily inspired by The Thing which made me so happy to see. Get ready for absolutely abhorrent and mind-blowing creatures and things. There are some truly revolting and horrifying moments throughout the film but things get especially wild right at the end. Plus the color, color effects and set design - damn, they really bring the whole movie together and unite this indescribable entity. For a movie that is so dependent on visuals and showing a color that cannot possibly be described, much less filmed, they made some bold and creative choices that really paid off. I just wish I could have seen a bit more of it all. But, the brief flashes where we can only see things clearly for a millisecond is exactly like Lovecraft's writing - a quick flash of detail and the rest is left for your imagination. We the viewer are left to fill the gaps with our own macabre designs.

Color Out Of Space is not perfect but the movie totally hits its stride in the middle and end, all the jokes land, the set is horrifyingly beautiful, the scares fresh, the acting and writing quite solid, and overall - just a mountain of fun. This is one color you don't want to miss.

8/10 - Check It Out