I Origins
2014 · Directed by Mike Cahill
Original language: English
- science fiction
- drama
The story
A molecular biologist's study of the human eye has far-reaching implications about humanity's scientific and spiritual beliefs.
What it’s like
Close, intimate framing dominates, with lingering shots of eyes filling the screen against the cool blue-white flatness of university labs, then a shift to saturated, dusty colour and warm sunlight in India. The camera is restless and handheld in the lab and settles into stillness for quiet domestic moments, and the light moves from fluorescent glare to golden streets and night. The score is electronic and pulsing in places and sparse and reflective in others, leaving room for silence. The vibe is curious, earnest and quietly uncanny, suited to a late evening alone or a thoughtful weekend watch. Pacing is measured, with long stretches of conversation and observation broken by abrupt jumps in time. Emotionally it sits in grief and yearning, following a scientist whose certainties loosen as he is drawn toward something he cannot explain, and a love that resists easy reason. Intensity is moderate: some sexual content and nudity, tense confrontations, and a death, but no gore and little overt violence. It suits viewers who want a cerebral romantic science-fiction drama with a spiritual undertow rather than a thriller.
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