Shadows on the Wall | Worldbreaker

Worldbreaker

dir Brad Anderson
scr Joshua Rollins
prd Michael Helfant, Bradley Gallo, Tracy Mercer, Martin Brennan, Jib Polhemus
with Luke Evans, Billie Boullet, Milla Jovovich, Mila Harris, Kevin Glynn, Chris Finlayson, Steven Calvert, Meadow Williams, Nadia Violet Johnson, Brian Devlin, Charis Agbonlahor, Jessica Murray
release US 30.Jan.26
25/UK 1h35

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Set in a near future when the world has been ripped apart by war and monsters in the wake of climate change, this dark action thriller confidently charges into its somewhat random mythology. Director Brad Anderson's robust approach is oddly over-serious, which leaves the film feeling both obvious and corny. But there are strongly involving moments along the way, and some inventive filmmaking helps keep things snappy.

Living in a community of warriors, 15-year-old Willa (Boullet) loves it when her veteran-fighter dad (Evans) and still battling mother (Jovovich) tell her old stories, especially when they feature the heroic Kodiak (Finlayson). But outside, freaky voracious monsters are everywhere, infecting humans with a deadly transformative illness. Leaving Mom to hold the front line, Dad and Willa head for an island refuge. Then a year later, Willa finds teen Rosie (Harris) wandering on the beach and hides her from Dad. But now this quiet place is compromised, so they will need to move on.

With their giant bug-like designs, the creatures called "breakers" that emerge from a fiery rift called the "stitch" offer a nice echo of those Ray Harryhausen classics. This is assembled with a terrific mix of practical effects and eye-catching makeup work, with a refreshingly limited use of digital trickery. And the gorgeous Irish locations offer a picturesque backdrop for both some human melodrama and intensely nasty action.

On the other hand, there's not much an actor can do with this kind of earnest dialog. But the cast members give it a go. Much of the film centres on the father-daughter bond between Evans' kindly, overprotective and increasingly beardy Dad and Boullet's independently minded Willa. Their connection makes the film watchable even when the plot takes some rather underpowered turns. And even if her screen time is limited, it's nice to see Jovovich in such an unusually grounded role.

The nature of storytelling itself infuses the narrative, allowing for swirly flashbacks and dream sequences that take us into the minds of the characters. The central point here is that tales of heroes offer us hope when we need it most. The script's approach to these things isn't very complicated, but at least it maintains a focus on conversations and relationships, allowing the action mayhem to provide a backdrop rather than the main event.

themes, language, violence 27.Jan.26

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