Written and directed by Owen Campbell, who also stars in the film, a young couple (Jonathan Rosen and Venecia Troncoso) retreat to a cabin for two weeks of self-improvement but are soon disturbed by a lost hiker (Campbell), leaving them to make a complicated decision about what to do with him.
For as long as film has existed, filmmakers have taken joy in blurring the lines of reality, creating situations where their characters lose their grip, and that’s what Owen Campbell does with Earth over Earth. It takes a little time to establish itself but manages to hold an ominous feel throughout, even just setting it in a modern, glass styled cabin, you know nothing joyous and simple is going to happen. There’s an air of disconnection, added to the isolation and strange occurrences, it does a great job of creating its own world, familiar yet separate.
Each of the details which Campbell adds to the film push that feeling of something being unsettled and unusual. The way that the dialogue plays out interestingly feels both like a satire of your typical twenty-something today and has an edge of the philosophical or self-analytical. The directorial style does well with having to move from the openness of nature to being intensely confined in their cabin. It does a good job of adding layers of mystery and a feeling of being trapped but never claustrophobic.
That blend of oddity and reflection is portrayed best by Owen Campbell’s lost hiker, he brings a surprisingly compelling presence. He does a lot to add a touch of sincerity in the later moments of the film, as well as capturing a really enjoyable compassion and vulnerability. Whereas the performances of Jonathan Rosen and Venecia Troncoso feel more inclined towards that satire, they are moulded into representations of their generation.
Rosen plays with that classic masculine struggle of modern men, overcompensating and not really able to appreciate quiet or a lack of technology. Troncoso’s Victoria has some familiar qualities, as well as a kindness but there’s also something curious about her which is difficult to put your finger on. Together they make for a somewhat mismatched couple, and their differences are intensified with their isolation, adding a nice tension to the film.
There are a few missteps along the way which dampen the tone of the film, particularly the opening and its use of sexuality throughout. It jumps in too fast and makes things fairly uncomfortable before the story really has the chance to get going. It feels as though the theme simply doesn’t have anything to add so it comes across out of place. It also leaves the crux of the plot until late in the film and misses out on the additional context to drive home the larger implications of their adventure.
Earth over Earth has a strong atmosphere and a good concept, creating its own world which feels just slightly removed from ours but with plenty of familiar details. There’s a good air of mystery at work and nice tones of disconnection, confusion and being lost. It can occasionally veer off course and doesn’t quite bring together its story as satisfyingly as hoped but it’s a solid effort for a first feature from Owen Campbell. The direction is well done, the writing is enjoyably unusual and he gives a memorable performance.
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