Hard science fiction is a tough sell, especially cinematically. Soft sci-fi is far more exciting and eye-pleasing. It lets us hop around the galaxy at faster-than-light speed, meet aliens at every space station, and have luxury accommodations in the starships on which we’re travelling. Conversely, hard sci-fi travel is slow and cramped and space is largely empty. Prospect is a hard sci-fi movie that remains resolute in the face of the obstacles posed by its chosen genre, and by and large overcomes them.
Prospect’s aesthetic is reminicent of Alien and I’m sure that was intentional. Like in Alien, Prospect’s version of space travel is analogue, with lots of switches and dials and flashing lights. It’s also utilitarian with a wild-west feel, as space travelling prospectors hitch their “wagons” to a large transport on its last run to a forest moon, the site of a gold rush that seems to be coming to an end. We follow a father-daughter duo in search of one last score, with only a short window of time to get in and out before the transport leaves, as if they miss that ride they will be left to die on the poisonous moon.
Prospect does a great job at dropping clues about the way this world works, showing us the desperation and pressure felt by this working class family from nowhere, hinting at the boom and bust that has hit this moon and those who work it, and suggesting that the colonization of the universe has made humanity revert to a savage, lawless existence on the frontiers. If set in another era, this story would work perfectly as a western, and that seems fitting when our protagonists are travelling to the edge of the known universe to stake resource claims, hoping to strike it rich.
Despite its indie-movie budget constraints, Prospect manages to convincingly portray space travel and an alien world on the big screen. The special effects are not spectacular but they are effective. Prospect succeeds due to its excellence in world-building, both visually and narratively. While Prospect is definitely a niche film, it is one that science fiction fans will enjoy.
ASSHOLES WATCHING MOVIES 
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I’m up for this one, hope it gets out here.
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Sign me up – I’ll go.
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I had a harder time with this one, so I’m glad to have you around to explain things to me.
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Oh, did it need explaining? I know you had a hard time but I thought it was due to the graphic field medicine that was on display!
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Oh yeah, that was rough.
But you know, I feel like we had a good chat about it afterward and I think I had a different appreciation for it, having it re-explained to me by someone who gets all the sci-fi references. I’m a little out of my depth and totally made the same comparisons but wasn’t sure why.
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Hard sci-fi is a challenge. For a well-told story, it’s worth it, though.
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Interstellar was the last hard-core sci-fi I saw and it left me confused at the end. I think I’m ready for another one, though.
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Ooooh. This one sounds good. 🙂
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I just remembered a short film a few years back – same premise – google being a gal’s best friend, I found it on Vimo. Was the short a proof-of-concept thing?
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The short is from the same writers/directors so I guess someone thought it should be expanded into a feature-length film. Good memory!
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😀
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wow, as a huge fan of science fiction cinema, this one sounds really good!
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