I Origins

A smart, formally captivating, and unobtrusive film that is thematically so unusual that it will hold your attention despite some script crutches and shortcuts – especially towards the end of the performance. At the same time, it has a minimalist and indie low-budget feel, which only adds to its advantage, and a few suggestive scenes that definitely deserve attention (especially the elevator scene). More questions than answers, that's what a smart sci-fi viewer often expects and that's what they get here. It's a shame about the clichéd, but nicely groomed ending. (05/20/2015)

Undoubtedly an original theme and adaptation, but here and there Cahill commits punishable missteps (led by the final "pedophile" ten minutes "I need to close the past, so come with me to my room to collect strawberries, my ex love". Are they sure it could not be eighteen years later and instead of eight?), but they have nothing to do with whether it is on a (rational) scientific/spiritual level, because in both of them it is interesting, though not always well presented to the viewer. (01/18/2015)

If the first 20 minutes hadn’t seemed to drag for so long, it would have been be an excellent sci-fi from the near future. This way, it took a while for the interesting eye theory to develop, which I not only thought about for a long time after the movie was over, but which I also found pretty original. I didn’t learn anything new but the movie cemented my idea that I really enjoy movies like this that are similar to Perfect Sense. They take the world as it is today and slightly change it to include something undiscovered so far and they let that sink in. It’s interesting and original and that’s what counts when it comes to movies. (08/27/2015)

I don't care how true the scientific facts are, which the film very skilfully plays with and brilliantly combines with a nice romantic plot, the only thing that interests me is that Mike Cahill has done his job so well that the film, even with a lot of endlessly repeated existential reflections and a somewhat lengthy intro, does not fizzle out into the void, but thanks to its appealing form and cleverly constructed script with a touching and cinematically impressive finale, it will bite firmly into our subconscious and we will gladly keep it there for some time. A small movie, but without major hesitations or predictable twists. 80% (08/17/2015)

(49th KVIFF) This sci-fi movie is so non-conflicting that it’s almost unsuited for the festival. It’s the story of a molecular biologists whose research proofs the ungodly origin of the human eye, so that further research can then challenge this finding. The film doesn’t demand much from the viewer, never falls into a scientific rant or into deep philosophical speeches, even though it does have room for that. It’s well made, the story is interesting overall, even though it feels a bit too implausible and naive at times (for instance, the Indian woman who identifies a girl by a photo of an eye, even though she says she hasn’t seen her for several months). That said, in the middle of the bustle of the festival, I Origins felt like a pleasant rest and I was excited immediately after the screening, though the feeling fizzled out after some time. And yet, a nice four-star rating, the ending is very strong emotionally. (07/12/2014)