K-SCORE: 83
Director: Sebastian Cordero
Writer: Philip Gelatt
Spoiler Level: Moderate (skip the last paragraph)
It’s a nugget of sci-fi made on a shoestring budget that, despite a few flaws, succeeds at entertaining throughout.
The minimalistic set ends up being an asset in the story for building a great deal of claustrophobic tension while simultaneously exploring the themes that present themselves in stories about the vastness of space and life beyond Earth. The astronauts’ fear of their increasingly dire circumstances doesn’t detract from the sense of wonder they have for the mysteries they unveil traveling to Europa. Consequently both emotions transfer over the viewer. This a big deal because it’s clearly what the film is trying hardest to achieve.
“The biggest problem though is that Europa Report follows this bizarre trend of needlessly using a split narrative.”
Complex and interesting characters match the realistic style. Choosing to transport actual NASA technologies and techniques onto this large-scope narrative works exceptionally well. Utilizing the built-in static ship cameras is a perfect way to match form to content, and it has the benefit of creating a unique viewing experience. People come in and out of frame as you bounce between familiar perspectives. And nothing shakes! How many movies lately have cameras so unsteady it’s designed to hurt your eyes and create chaos instead of offering you a decent view of the action? Of course the realistic tone had me spotting little errors like a hawk. When I watch an SF like Firefly, for example, I don’t care at all why all the planets have exactly Earth G, a breathable atmosphere, or why they can walk around in their ship, but in Europa Report I’m wondering why some objects are floating around them but their hair falls to their shoulders or down their foreheads. It may seem a little nitpicky, but if you’re trying to be realistic, every bit of research and scientific accuracy helps.
The biggest problem though is that Europa Report follows this bizarre trend of needlessly using a split narrative. Why start somewhere in the middle, jump back, meet that starting point, and then continue? That only adds anything if what is initially presented is so compelling or extraordinary that I’m on the edge of my seat with the promise of a story that develops to that point, which isn’t the case here. They should have just had the mission control frame structure and then gone from the beginning to the end chronologically.
The finale though, the final shot of the mission, makes the whole journey more than worthwhile. You understand from the start that these astronauts are going to discover something monumental on Europa. Yet going through the journey slowly with the team as they gather more evidence and lose more and more people builds tension, creates this great desire to get closer, to know more, even though every step forward is more perilous than the last. With such a small budget and a dedication to realism, I feared it wouldn’t satisfy by the end. The filmmakers were aware of this potential problem and steered their spaceship in the right direction. No more teasers, no more tension building, nothing unsatisfying. They gave you a depiction of the creature that is now burned in my mind and I love that it’s there.