Nebulous Dark (2021) Film Review
Indie cinema, real indie cinema, is something I keep on falling in love with.. There’s something almost magnetic in how those stories have a pinch of honesty that you can’t find in bigger productions. This is mostly common with the most sober genres.
However, in fictional settings, especially science fiction, this consideration changes a bit. It’s really difficult to shoot a science fiction indie film in a non realistic setting. Special effects are a big deal in this genre and budget wise, indie films are not very “big”.
Yet honesty is relative. You can make an indie sci-fi film and not have the best special effects. You just have to be aware of the framework you’re working in.
Shahin Sean Solimon attempts to do something large with Nebulous Dark and strepitously misses the mark. His film, a sci-fi action horror epic, is somewhat of an experiment in boundaries. His story is supposedly clear, but it’s diluted in a poorly made film.
The confusing yet interesting story in Nebulous Dark has something to do with our race being eradicated from the face of the Earth.
A human wakes up in a time loop and repeatedly has to face aliens, zombies and other threats. He’s a visitor on his own planet, which has been taken over by other beings.
Of course, he needs to survive, finds other survivors in the process, and attempts to save the human race.
Is there more? Probably.
But does it matter? Barely.
Solimon has collected every piece of inspiration possible. His film is full of hints at other sci-fi films and TV shows. It wouldn’t be an issue if his story didn’t suffer from a terrible lack of structure and direction. Nebulous Dark is a continuous experiment of visual effects that don’t look so good, nor help the story (some creature effects and makeup actually look good).
Fancy shots are not well framed shots and Solimon tries too hard to garnish the image with effects that don’t add up. The curious thing is I don’t believe the story needed to be manipulated excessively to be interesting. Imagine if Nebulous Dark were made in a single room setting. There you could find another movie and perhaps a much better one. Shahin Sean Solimon is a man striving for greatness. His drive is something to admire
As I said before, I hold indie films dearly. They are part of an evolutionary process that mixes different levels of creativity and budget restraints. But one cannot justify a poorly made film that is replete with potential.
Nebulous Dark should be mystical, and less violent. At least, that’s what I can imagine from an untold story.
