A secluded farm is struck by a strange meteorite that has apocalyptic consequences for the family living there and possibly the world.
H.P. Lovecraft’s writings have been adapted into various big-screen iterations. From “Re-Animator” to “Necronomicon” to “The Unnamable” and “From Beyond,” there is no shortage of Lovecraft movies but with “Color Out of Space,” based on Lovecraft’s short story ‘The Colour Out of Space,’ we get a film more akin to Alex Garland’s “Annihilation” (a movie I really disliked) but is better presented here, and John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” Lovecraft had one hell of an imagination and the producers of “Color Out of Space” have presented to us, a film that appears to be closer in feel and ambiance to the writings of Lovecraft than any other picture that has come before.
Nicolas Cage plays Nathan Gardner and Joely Richardson plays his wife Theresa. They have three kids, their two teenagers, Lavinia (Madeleine Arthur) and Benny (Brendan Meyer) and their young son Jack (Julian Hilliard). The family lives out in the country on a farm, miles away from civilization and one night, a brilliantly glowing meteor crash lands in their back yard. Later that night, a big thunderstorm passes through and bolts of lightning strike the meteor, decimating it into a million pieces and scattering the debris all over the ground and into the well. The next morning they call the authorities but they are helpless to do anything because it has been reduced to a pile of ash. Gradually though, strange occurrences begin to take place around the farm and one by one, the family is consumed by something that lives in the well, something otherworldly that glows bright and can talk to each member of the family.
When Ward (Elliot Knight), a local hydrologist and friend of Lavinia’s, takes a sample of the water near the farm and gets readings he cannot comprehend, he tries to warn Lavinia not to drink from their well but her behavior becomes more and more erratic, along with the rest of her family. When Theresa comes out of the house one night with Jack, they are struck by a bolt of colored lightning, emanating from the well, and Nathan, Lavinia, and Benny bring them inside. The two bodies have been fused together and gradually, they turn into a horrifying creature that tries to assimilate Lavinia but it is stopped by Ward and the sheriff. As the two men try to comprehend what is going on, the sheriff is killed and a now-possessed Lavinia tries to take over Ward’s mind but he is too strong-willed and a portal opens up from the well to another planet in the universe, consuming Lavinia in the process and making her a part of it. The beings that inhabited the well now have a new planet to occupy and make their own, with a small band of resistance, led by Ward, fighting to keep their home.
“Color Out of Space” is very slow-moving but well worth the wait. Nicolas Cage actually underplays his character, for once, and we get a glimpse of the actor he once was, back in his glory days, if even momentarily, which was a nice treat. The rest of the cast perform admirably and director Richard Stanley, who made the notoriously doomed “The Island of Dr. Moreau,” proves that with the right script, cast, and crew, is more than capable of delivering a solid, well-made feature, evocative of the science fiction movies of the ’80s. The cinematography by Steve Annis is beautifully framed and presented in glorious widescreen, another facet that was so indisputable in 1980s films. If you enjoyed science fiction movies like “The Thing,” “They Live,” and “Lifeforce,” you should have a blast with “Color Out of Space.”
Available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital & On-Demand February 25th
