A double feature that will only run you twenty-four minutes, writer/director Adam Stern (a visual effects guru, whose production house Artifex Studios has worked on everything from Mission to Mars and The Core, to television series, including Continuum and Wayward Pines) has developed two intriguing short sci-fi films that deal, in different ways, with discovering the unknown (and how very dangerous that can be).
Feeling a little bit like entering the Twilight Zone, 2015’s The Adept follows scientist couple Ben (Adam Greyson Reid) and Maddy (Jennifer Spence) as they ruminate on their most recent theoretical physics project. Before going to do the dishes, Ben wants to show Maddy his newest card trick. . . not overly interested, she continues to discuss their work. As they spitfire ideas off of each other, the multitasking Ben mysteriously makes the cards disappear – where to? – not even he is sure.
Soon, Ben is seeing the world on another level – transcending the laws of nature, able to move time and space in very unnatural ways. Though Maddy puts on her droll face, clearly she is a bit shaken, after all, power like this often brings with it its own dangers. . .
2017’s FTL (standing for Faster Than Light) is something like “Space: the final frontier” updated for the 21st century, Adam Stern taking us on the first manned flight to Mars. . . a trip that will take astronaut Ethan Kane (Ty Olsson – Supernatural) to the Red Planet in exactly three minutes.
Leaving his wife (Aliyah O’Brien) and son (John Torrance) back on Earth, his only communications come through the mission control centre, run by Sarah Johns (Karin Konoval). Flawlessly, he arrives in Mars’ orbit, that is, until things take a rather unexpected turn, or as Kane puts it, “okay, way above my paygrade”.
And, like its own form of reality, science fiction is meant to make us consider our existence, question our definition of the universe, dream of a distant future (a dream that often turns into a nightmare) – and these two shorts do exactly this. Walking a line between the excitement of scientific growth/discovery and the dangers it may bring with it – the suspense and tension are palpable just as much as the exhilaration of such findings, Stern developing two thought-provoking stories that both could play as introductions to full length feature films. And, speaking of feature films, no detail is missed by the team creating these striking visuals – excellent cinematography, awe-inspiring special effects, and fascinating sets. Perhaps the best field of comparison for The Adept would be something along the lines of Fringe – a television series with lofty ideas that were nearly always executed to perfection. FTL, which was shot in just three days, is perhaps even more impressive, for the computer effects (and there a lot of them) look just as sharp as any television show or motion picture (and, as you would guess, with a much smaller budget). Also, the camera is more alive in telling the story (whereas in The Adept, it is edited at a slower pace that is more fitting for the tale), depicting sweeping views of Earth and the spacecraft (while The Edgar Winter Group’s Free Ride plays in the background), emotional closeups between the couple, a transition nonpareil, wide shots that set the action, and a closing overhead shot that pulls away slowly – perfectly capturing the moment. For sci-fi enthusiasts, on top of the Star Trek reference above, you will also catch odes to 2001: A Space Odyssey and some of Steven Spielberg’s alien film work, while it also pays homage to many of the Cold War communist influenced horror features of the 1950s. . . and more recently, it draws some parallels to Annihilation.
Impressively, Stern is also a musician, and writes the score for both The Adept (which features a lovely piano theme that contains a touch of adventure and a dangerous undercurrent that lurks in the background) and FTL (a more sweeping score that captures the ups and downs of the journey but still never forgets about the subtle moments that make this a story of love and family).
What can best be described as imposing concepts that are shot on shoestring budgets, The Adept and FTL are best experienced firsthand. Currently attempting to turn both into full length features, Stern has definitely piqued peoples’ interest (not only winning awards along the film festival circuit, but also by way of the millions of people who have enjoyed them online – both are easily accessible with a quick browser search). . . lofty ideals that somehow bring out a childlike curiosity in the viewer. So, follow suit, and discover the mesmerizing shimmer of these two short films – or you may get a stern talking to.