Choas Walking : In the distant future of 2257, on a planet far from Earth where a virus compels people to hear each other’s thoughts, Todd Hewitt encounters a mysterious girl who may hold the key to unlocking the planet’s secrets. Together, they embark on an adventure to uncover the truth about their new home.
Release Date 4 March 2021 Language English Genre Adventure, Sci-Fi Duration 1h 49min Cast Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, Mads Mikkelsen, Demián Bichir, Cynthia Erivo, Nick Jonas, David Oyelowo Director Doug Liman Writer Patrick Ness, Christopher Ford Cinematography Ben Seresin Music Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts Producer Doug Liman, Allison Shearmur, Erwin Stoff, Alison Winter Production Bron Creative, Quadrant Pictures, 3 Arts Entertainment, Allison Shearmur Productions Certificate 13+
“Chaos Walking” is a dystopian adventure film set on the planet New World, where humanity has established an outpost called Prentisstown, led by Mayor Prentiss and his son Davy. The settlement is guarded by soldiers against the native inhabitants known as Spackle, with whom an uneasy truce exists after the Spackle eradicated all human females.
Todd, who struggles to control his ability to hear others’ thoughts, discovers Viola, a woman from Earth who crash-lands near Prentisstown. Instantly drawn to her, Todd’s thoughts about Viola inadvertently reveal their presence to Mayor Prentiss, who sees an opportunity to use Viola’s spaceship as a weapon against the Spackle..
Directed by Doug Liman, the film features a talented cast and maintains a brisk pace with intense visual effects. However, it falls short in developing characters and their relationships, focusing more on action sequences than introspection.
While the initial concept is compelling, the film lacks depth in exploring the motivations of its characters, particularly the villains. The portrayal of the alien Spackle as antagonists is criticized, and their appearance is deemed unconvincing for a serious, big-budget production.
Despite its shortcomings, “Chaos Walking” offers entertainment with its blend of space-western elements. However, it ultimately struggles to elevate its characters beyond mere conduits for the plot, resulting in a missed opportunity for deeper storytelling.
