Space is a common setting for many science fiction stories, whether it be the Alien series or even Korean drama such as The Silent Sea. At high points of tension, the team argues and then happens when everyone begins to doubt one another in a classic scenario. This formulaic approach leads to predictable moments that an audience may gobble up in eager anticipation or groan at the prospects of yet another villain potentially being among the original group. Maybe this latter has become more popular because it keeps being done over and over again without people getting completely sick of it. This gives us films like Cryo.
Cryo is a film by Saban Films, which is slated for release on June 24th 2022, adding to its repertoire of indie movies that tend to sit on the fringes of mainstream attention and love. This company was recently in the headlines when they acquired exclusive worldwide rights to Jason Momoa’s coming Western movie based on true events. Yet Cryo stands alone as a sci-fi story whose main selling point is how much mystery there is and how thrilling it can get as a whodunnit scenario. Has it achieved that? It might be left to the viewer.
It stars Jyllian Petrie (Forget the Rest, The Last Descent), Mason D. Davis (Identical Love, Stalked in Paradise), Emily Marie Palmer (Cobra Kai), Morgan Gunter, Curt Doussett (Phil of the Future), and Michael Flynn. Together with actor Mason D. Davis, Barrett Burgin directed this film who also takes credit for writing it with his fellow actor . It came about as their first joint project together where Davis wrote his initial screen play regarding feature length movie(since he had already written a short ). In all other respects these characters go unnamed throughout this film giving them life in acting within one world whereby everybody knows nothing beyond each other but only what they are doing at now.
Cryo is a simple story about five scientists that were put into cryogenic sleep. After waking up at an unknown time later, they discover themselves inside an underground facility, sealed in and with no way out of here and having no idea who they are. They do not even know for how long they have been sleeping that is where the mystery starts! Even the scene where one of the scientists is first seen coming out of the pod is unsettling, and she looks like an alien coming out of a machine womb. This symbolic rebirth sets the harsh tone for the rest of the movie with its gritty, dark coloring.
But there’s a twist for our protagonists: something or someone seems to be hunting them down after discovering a bloody machete in one room but it has no owner. It all begins to resemble Zero Escape video game series particularly Last Reward; where every participant in a violent, brutal game wakes up in what appears to be a warehouse basement only to find out that their memories are gone. They are then made to participate in life and death scenario which might require them sacrificing each other so as to get a means of escaping from these shackles.
Cryo’s characters shift from one room to another falling into specific archetypes, asking some of the obvious questions and providing exposition about the Inventor, who made the place they are currently located within. Even in the absence of memory, one character will still be able to explain a few of its details and showcase that he is not ignorant about it. These are just a few moments out of amnesia which could make them remember something very important such as their creators or inventors. The driving force behind this film is that people were trapped here first but later it turns out to be a cat and mouse game when food disappears, machetes are found and many arguments arise on who exactly is the inventor if at all he exists down there.
The story Cryo begins with an experiment. This has brought these characters here and as the story twists itself into knots while complicating its own plot further; it becomes a test of their patience and deductive powers. After one character succeeds in going past an airlock exit to see what lies beyond his confinement he returns back all open mouthed, unable to describe with words what it was like outside there.” Perhaps this is what cryo ultimately boils down to since a slow start might put off casual viewers.
Technically speaking, the movie looks good. The coloring used helps create a dark mood for the characters making their faces look drawn while elongating shadows once things get bad enough. Some shots may appear unnecessary in grand scheme while others have dialogues underlaid by dim audio tracks giving them depth subtly. It looks real so to speak hence making it easier for any viewer out there. They are normal guys from on street, putting them in this situation adds even more value to story despite being my subconscious perception.
It might sound daring saying that perhaps Cryo itself could be considered as an experiment but sometimes it feels like just that. Throughout the entire duration, we will follow characters’ flashbacks, which can fill in a lot of gaps in the story and maintain the intense atmosphere. This is not a novelty or something completely new, but with the many plot twists that come throughout, it goes through a balancing act between the present and past. There have been various whodunnit stories in recent years such as Agatha Christie adaptations or hits like Knives Out which somehow always seem to involve Kenneth Branagh. In this film we have an interesting mix of genres not commonly seen in either movies or television anymore, turning it into an almost sociological essay on some of its science fiction brethren.
An indie movie like Cryo may not have been perfect but it is quite understandable owing to the constraints of the budget. This is not a Hollywood blockbuster that makes it rather unfair to heavily criticize a film about special effects from this perspective. Yet, this indie movie stands head and shoulders above others in quality terms. Its lack does not feel specific unless you are coming from an exact place of anticipation for some thing, which causes it to be fully consumed by the abyss of indie science fiction.
However, the film does have its faults. Sometimes the pace goes too slowly and it feels like the movie could not have been as long as it was. Quite often, people see characters going through rooms so that being jammed into such a confined area as a whole only leaves all but no dialogue possible. But slow moments drag down their wild state and even panic since they shift attention away from existing issue and gradually reduce novelty of created world.
Another point worth mentioning is related to character development where backgrounds are overtold taking away involved mysteries. It’s not necessary to always go into detail about who these characters were before one point or another. The memories surface randomly without any explanation at first thereby revealing small pieces of exposition that might have been good enough for something else but tries hard to do more than that itself. The acting on a large scale also seems rigid sometimes with some exchanges sounding forced and movements appearing jerky as cameras follow them around. At times their chemistry feels misaligned too; perhaps that is done consciously on purpose (to make us doubt) however, for majority part of the film appears very awkward.
In conclusion, Cryo might be an average film but a great indie flick. Its themes vanish into its inner workings until its running time reaches two hours minus five minutes or so when other characters fade off due to focus on other matters instead of this main plot line. A lot can be done with its storyline and cast members; nonetheless, it’s a good place that could have been improved. It is not bad or something which should be avoided – just a matter of finding the right audience for whom it takes time and love to understand.
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