The Discovery

Something I am really appreciating about Netflix these days is that they are putting at least a portion of their money into developing really interesting and original science fiction stories. Stranger Things of course is their big money maker but then you have shows like Black Mirror, The OA, Bright, and Altered Carbon that have had varying results. But the thing I like about all these titles is that while some of them are good, some of them are bad, and some of them are somewhere in between, they are doing something different and creative. And that is something I have to remind myself when examining my thoughts on The Discovery.

The Discovery takes place in a world where scientists have discovered that when we die, a part of us leaves this plane of reality. It is titled, The Discovery and it is explored by a scientist named Thomas Harbor (played by Robert Redford). His theory suggests that when we die, a part of us, potentially the soul, leaves our bodies and goes somewhere. They don't know where but it is determined as proof that when we die, there is a place we go after.

This of course sends the world into chaos as people believe that if they commit suicide, they have proof they will go somewhere and belief fills in the blanks. People believe they will go to a better place if they die and the number of suicides go up dramatically.

The story mainly follows Thomas Harbor's son, Will (played by Jason Segal) as he goes to see his father right as he and Thomas Harbor's cult-like organization is on the cusp of a new discovery.

Will meets a woman by the name of Isla (played by Rooney Mara) and the two of them develop a romance while delving into what happens and where they go when they die.

The result is an interesting science fiction story with some decent performances that ultimately falls a little bit flat with its execution.

This is a tough movie to review because the truth is, I was interested in a lot of what was going on throughout the entire film. The whole concept is fascinating and the way they go about exploring the concept is pretty interesting, but at the end of the movie it seems like they were going for an emotional response and there are just a couple of things taking me out of that emotional feeling.

That is mainly shown in the relationship between Segal and Rooney's characters. I really only know Jason Segal from comedies, How I Met Your Mother and I Love You Man. And I love him in those movies and I think he's a good actor, but it was weird seeing him in this very straight serious role.

Rooney Mara is a good actress and the two of them individually do a good job in the film. But while the relationship they develop is okay, it isn't strong enough, or given enough time to really make me feel as though it earned the emotional ending this movie had. This movie is described as a romantic science fiction film but it doesn't seem to get the romance part totally right. It does the science fiction parts right but the romance falls short.

And unfortunately with a plot that involves mass numbers of people committing suicide, the subject matter doesn't really make for a light film at all. The majority of the film is in overcast and dreary tones so it might feel like this is just a downer of a film because a lot of it is. There are a couple of moments that are supposed to be a little comedic but while everyone is doing a good job with their performance, it is pretty sorrowful and dower throughout the film.

The science fiction elements are good, however, you can tell this movie was on a bit of a budget. A lot of the cool science fiction stuff is masked by discussions about the theoretical, but you don't see the results of those theories very much and when you finally do, it ends up being a little bit confusing.

Luckily the science fiction elements, at least talking about it, does cover up the dower mood of the movie and does carry us along enough for it to be entertaining. I feel like if there was a bigger budget, we might be able to see some cool visuals or at least do more with the concept of the after life or wherever someone goes after they die, but as it is, it leaves the audience wanting a little bit more.

I don't regret watching The Discovery. There are a lot of cool ideas and the individual performances were at worst, passable. Robert Redford of course is the veteran in this movie and he does a decent enough job as the father figure who is entrenched in his research. Jesse Plemmons, or as I have jokingly referred to him as, Budget Matt Damon, plays Will's brother Toby and he does a good job in the film.

Overall, I can't say I wholeheartedly recommend this movie. In many ways it reminds me of The OA. It has a concept that is really interesting and they address it a little bit to keep me interested, but where The OA had bad performances and bad overall execution, The Discovery just lacks that momentum, chemistry, and the budget to really escalate it into a movie that's worth your time. If you like science fiction movies, especially those from Netflix, you might enjoy this film, otherwise, it's probably one you can skip. You won't be missing anything huge if you skip The Discovery.

But those are my thoughts on The Discovery. Have you seen it? What did you think? Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @MovieSymposium as well as send me your requests for films I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

I'll leave you with this. Robert Redford came on the Today show and talked about The Discovery. Enjoy!