It finally happened, TV Tropes ended giving me a recommendation. I forgot what door I went through ending in the blackhole of tropes, but I ended bumping onto this movie and thought it had an interesting premise. Since I haven't read the book, I wouldn’t be able to properly judge if what you’d see in this movie is accurate or not.
What I can say is that Andromeda Strain is an unique movie. Its not just a thriller about scientists trying to find a cure for something (thus it has no 'antagonist' in the classic sense, no giant ants or mad scientists), its also a thriller in three parts, and each one inherently needs a different style of direction for a different kind of thrill, and Robert Wise nearly aces it.
The first part of the movie, where the unknown threat has yet to be discovered, is shot like a high-tension slow-burner horror movie. The middle has the protagonists having to deal with the newly discovered threat while the clock is ticking above their heads… so movie switches to a slower pace. Unfortunately, this results in its lowest point because, pretty much akin to ‘The Black Hole’, everything turns into a long slow-as-molasses exposition about the Wildfire lab, how ultra-tech everything is (and how expensive the sets were!). After the presentation of the base is out of the way, things pick up once again, with tension ramping as the scientists make exams and put the pieces of the puzzle together. The last part of the movie, the climax, moves accordingly with a higher, frantic pace, tension coming from the lingering threat about to explode and kill everyone.
The story ties very well with the directing, following a team of scientists doing their best. They aren't overly deep, but are quite fleshed out. These are realistic people under strenuous circumstances and they behave as such without getting overdramatic. They make mistakes (all mistakes made by characters are feasible and explained), they get tired, they disagree, but every single one of them has something to offer to the table, and none of them are complete assholes. This means that instead of shouting matches or gun firing, the story is more akin to a tense puzzle where the characters do specific tests to find its pieces, compare results and ponder what is the next step. The scientist in me squeed in joy, because even if it’s not my field and style the method they chose was crystal clear, the steps were also concise and people didn’t just jump to conclusions. It’s an insanely rare treat to find nowadays, and the only movie that did something similar was Arrival.
I'd say that the acting is... decent. Nothing outstanding, but its clear that the directing did the heavy lifting of keeping the tension high (alongside the props and art direction, really good!) and some people will find the ending a bit goofy.
So if you're seeking a slow-burner thriller that uses realistic tools instead of ye olde bubbling beaker of colorful nothing, give this one a shot.
Science Thriller!
It finally happened, TV Tropes ended giving me a recommendation. I forgot what door I went through ending in the blackhole of tropes, but I ended bumping onto this movie and thought it had an interesting premise. Since I haven't read the book, I wouldn’t be able to properly judge if what you’d see in this movie is accurate or not.
What I can say is that Andromeda Strain is an unique movie. Its not just a thriller about scientists trying to find a cure for something (thus it has no 'antagonist' in the classic sense, no giant ants or mad scientists), its also a thriller in three parts, and each one inherently needs a different style of direction for a different kind of thrill, and Robert Wise nearly aces it.
The first part of the movie, where the unknown threat has yet to be discovered, is shot like a high-tension slow-burner horror movie. The middle has the protagonists having to deal with the newly discovered threat while the clock is ticking above their heads… so movie switches to a slower pace. Unfortunately, this results in its lowest point because, pretty much akin to ‘The Black Hole’, everything turns into a long slow-as-molasses exposition about the Wildfire lab, how ultra-tech everything is (and how expensive the sets were!). After the presentation of the base is out of the way, things pick up once again, with tension ramping as the scientists make exams and put the pieces of the puzzle together. The last part of the movie, the climax, moves accordingly with a higher, frantic pace, tension coming from the lingering threat about to explode and kill everyone.
The story ties very well with the directing, following a team of scientists doing their best. They aren't overly deep, but are quite fleshed out. These are realistic people under strenuous circumstances and they behave as such without getting overdramatic. They make mistakes (all mistakes made by characters are feasible and explained), they get tired, they disagree, but every single one of them has something to offer to the table, and none of them are complete assholes. This means that instead of shouting matches or gun firing, the story is more akin to a tense puzzle where the characters do specific tests to find its pieces, compare results and ponder what is the next step. The scientist in me squeed in joy, because even if it’s not my field and style the method they chose was crystal clear, the steps were also concise and people didn’t just jump to conclusions. It’s an insanely rare treat to find nowadays, and the only movie that did something similar was Arrival.
I'd say that the acting is... decent. Nothing outstanding, but its clear that the directing did the heavy lifting of keeping the tension high (alongside the props and art direction, really good!) and some people will find the ending a bit goofy.
So if you're seeking a slow-burner thriller that uses realistic tools instead of ye olde bubbling beaker of colorful nothing, give this one a shot.