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The landscape for independent films has changed rapidly. On one hand, the opportunity to build a theatrical release has become increasingly difficult, but on the other hand, digital release has given indies a chance to play to a broad national audience at once. Each week, new indie releases will be profiled and because they might not be playing at a theater near you, one highly recommended film available now a click or two away via VOD (whether a new or not quite new release) will be presented for viewing without leaving your computer.

VOD Pick of the Week

Europa Report

Europa Report follows in the tradition of smart science fiction that pays as much attention to the science part of the genre as it does to the fiction. An obvious antecedent is 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Europa Report explicitly acknowledges, not only with the fact that it involves a mission to Jupiter but also with the musical reference of The Blue Danube. Danny Boyle’s Sunshine is another obvious comparison. The film is also technically part of the popular found footage genre though it doesn’t feel as blatantly manufactured as some films using that technique often do.

The film follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. When data suggests that an ocean of liquid water lies beneath the ice covered surface of Europa, a privately funded manned mission is planned to examine the tantalizing possibility that in that water may exist evidence of current or past life on the moon. It is revealed early on that the mission was ill-fated beginning with communications between the ship and Earth being cut off damage sustained from a solar flare. The fate of the mission is revealed in non-chronological sequence including footage from the spaceship as well as interviews with the mission commanders on Earth.

The crew of astronauts consists of pilots, engineers, and scientists, and each character is fully realized by the international cast that includes most recognizably Sharlto Copley (District 9) and Michael Nyqvist (the Swedish Dragon Tattoo trilogy). Each one is driven by their thirst for knowledge and discovery, which motivated them to take on this dangerous expedition to possibly make what would be the most important breakthrough in human history. With such an intimate movie, identifying with the characters is vital, increasing the stakes on a personal level as well as the cosmic level, and the entire cast is up to the task of bringing you into their world in a short amount of time.

The film is relatively low budget and to a point you can tell as most of it takes place within the confines of the smallish spaceship, but the special effects are still impressive. It is not a blockbuster CGI extravaganza, but when necessary the effects are seamlessly used to add impact and drama to the story, which is so low key in some respects that it really sneaks up on you. It is so efficient that you don’t even notice how effectively it is building until you are on the edge of your seat, and it’s not just the building of tension that surprises, but also the amount of emotional resonance it brings.

Summer is the time of big sci-fi blockbuster bombast, but it also seems that every few years or so we get a smaller sci-fi movie that breaks through and uses the genre to examine the human condition. Europa Report joins recent films in that tradition such as Primer, Moon, Another Earth, and District 9 as a worthy addition.
Available at Amazon
Available at iTunes
Available at Vudu

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