Chaos Walking -- A Review

Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley team up for Chaos Walking, a science fiction film that’s based on the book The Knife of Never Letting Go by author Patrick Ness. Ridley plays Viola, an astronaut who crash-lands on an alien planet that’s already been colonized by a first wave of settlers from Earth. The only problem is, she winds up in a settlement that consists only of men, with the women having vanished years before. And all of the men have a strange affliction where their thoughts can literally be seen and heard in the air around their heads.

Holland plays Todd, the youngest member of the colony who comes to Viola’s aid--although it becomes an equal partnership as Viola and Todd fight to survive in a world gone mad! Chaos Walking was directed by Doug Liman, who’s done some pretty good films in the past (Edge of Tomorrow, Go), and it runs with its interesting premise of how all of the males’ thoughts on this planet are an open book (women’s thoughts remain their own). With each man having a swirling cloud of images floating about his head, most of them--including Todd--desperately try very hard not to think about their compromising thoughts in front of others.

The problem is this can get a little annoying after a while. Everybody’s constantly thinking about something, and that leads to a steady barrage of noise and imagery that can get so bothersome that I kept wishing these dudes had just learned to quell their thoughts via meditation, or something. While the idea of having men’s thoughts be openly displayed is an interesting one, it doesn’t feel as if the film has properly explored this concept far enough. For instance, there is a huge plot twist in the movie (and it’s a good one) that I had some trouble accepting, because how can you keep a massive conspiracy on the down-low in a world where everybody’s thoughts are on open display like a billboard?

Holland (presently swinging through the MCU as Spider-Man)and Ridley (the queen of space, thanks to the recent Star Wars Sequels) are both very good, here. They’re extremely engaging actors who effortlessly make you feel sympathy for their characters. And while Chaos Walking is far from being a perfect film (it’s also got plot holes galore) it’s certainly not the horror show that so many people made it out to be elsewhere. It’s fast-paced, offering plenty of twists, along with well-directed action. If you’re a science fiction fan looking for a break from the usual 800 pound gorilla SF franchises like Star Wars or Star Trek, then give Chaos Walking a shot. --SF

Chaos Walking can be seen here on Amazon.

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