Netflix has been making a sizable effort in creating original content. While they have had a great deal of success with television, less could be said about the films they made. Beasts of No Nation was quite good, but never became the Oscar contender many hoped it would be. Then there is the Adam Sandler produced trio of duds, which continued Sandler’s downward spiral as a content creator.
After failing to be released in theaters back in August, Netflix has picked up the science fiction film Spectral. The film follows a otherworldly force that is wrecking havoc upon a war-torn European city. The only force in its path is a elite Special Ops unit teamed with Clyne, a genius engineer.
Spectral, despite being unceremoniously dumped into release, is not without its fair share of fun moments. That being said, its a fairly standard-issue action film that does little to add to the genre.
Considering the film is on Netflix, I was quite impressed by the action set pieces here. The effects, aside from a few clunky backgrounds, are seamless and well integrated. The spectral beings have a good design and their swift movements are fun to watch. Long-time commercial director Nic Matheiu integrates a lot of style, but incorporates these elements well. Slow-motion shots and grand explosives all look impressive and make the set pieces stand out.
In a lot of ways, Spectral is more of a war film than a science fiction film. Matheiu as well as the script do a good job of making the events in the film feel realistic enough, with the characters trying to solve their problems through rational means. Grounding the film in a realistic setting is a nice touch, making the events feel all the more authentic.
Spectral however suffers most from its lack of personality. All of the performances here are ok, but none of the characters are able to stand out. Clyne is a very uninteresting protagonist, having little personality outside of solving the team’s problems. The soldiers here are written and performed in a very stereotypical manner, having little to say outside of mission orders or ball-busting blurbs. It’s hard to truly care about a movie when everyone in it is so forgettable.
While the first half of the film is solid, the second half falls apart. With the introduction of useless characters and the narrative going off the rails, the second half in particular lacks direction. It wonders from scene to scene until the climax just sort of happens. These quiet moments could have been vital in establishing strong character, but instead there are just a lot of dead scenes.
Spectral is not as bad as its unceremonious release would tell you, but its a workman like film that fails to make a product as memorable as its cool set-up.