Directed by:
Danny BoyleScreenplay:
Alex GarlandCinematography:
Alwin H. KuchlerCast:
Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada, Troy Garity, Cliff Curtis, Mark Strong, Benedict Wong, Paloma Baeza, Chipo ChungVOD (3)
Plots(1)
Fifty years from now, the sun is dying, and mankind is dying with it. Our last hope: a spaceship and a crew of eight men and women. They carry a device which will breathe new life into the star. But deep into their voyage, out of radio contact with Earth, their mission is starting to unravel. There is an accident, a fatal mistake, and a distress beacon from a spaceship that disappeared seven years earlier. Soon the crew is fighting not only for their lives, but their sanity. (Fox Searchlight Pictures US)
(more)Videos (3)
Reviews (9)
Sunshine is too low-budget and chatty, and with too many interior shots for a grandiose mainstream sci-fi movie, and it’s too unoriginal and clichéd for an intelligent intimate drama. We know practically nothing about the characters, we have already seen almost every twist in the story elsewhere, and the film is visually austere, at least one level worse than Event Horizon. I don’t like to say it, but even the silly The Core was more fun than this. Danny, stop with this bullshit and shoot Porno (note for those not in the know: the announced sequel to Trainspotting).
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Sunshine can ignite many emotions in the viewer, whether it's fear for the success of the mission, sympathy towards certain characters, admiration for others, or being moved. It was precisely the latter that caught me in two brilliantly composed and emotionally overwhelming scenes. If Sunshine is the film of the year in something, it's the atmosphere. Boyle played with many genres and wrapped the resulting mix in a golden cover with a pessimistic touch. The result is something that probably has no equal and that everyone should see and interpret for themselves, whether it's for the better or worse, because otherwise they have no chance of understanding what I'm talking about.
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Danny Boyle's contribution to the sci-fi genre is sort of a pleasant compromise in the end. Sunshine doesn't stand out for its pomposity or bombastic visuals, but it's exactly halfway between a grand space adventure and a cramped survival drama. Unfortunately, the script slightly staggers in its second half, but thanks to precise direction it is still a rather impressively made sci-fi, and for very modest money.
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When I first saw Sunshine a long time ago, I was absolutely blown away by it. Today, after watching it again, my enthusiasm has somewhat diminished. I realize that there are a lot of inconsistencies in the movie, and the slightly horror-themed plot element bothers me a bit as well. But it is still an extraordinary audiovisual experience after all these years. And Cillian Murphy as the savior of planet Earth? What more could you ask for? (75%)
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Visually impressive and with a very unconventional premise, but the end result is unfortunately somewhat mixed. Thank God it's not about philosophizing on the origin or decline of humanity (although someone occasionally utters something along those lines), but rather a fast-paced and intriguing sci-fi flick with a few truly action-packed and intense moments. Surprisingly, there is a lack of scientific jargon and analysis, which is good because viewers usually have a hard time understanding them. The problem are the characters, they are only superficially sketched and we don't really learn anything about them. Then there’s the unnamed immigrant, who sticks out like a sore thumb, and it’s precisely because of this that this solid sci-fi film loses most of its attractiveness and appeal, as towards the end it becomes just clichés and a cat-and-mouse game. Despite this fatal flaw, I must say that it is a very unconventional work and as such it cannot be rated merely average.
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