Written and directed by Michael O’Halloran, co-written by Adam Harmer, after a fatal test shuts down their project, a disgraced team of scientists enters the criminal underworld to rebuild a forbidden space-bending engine that could rescue humanity or annihilate it entirely. Starring: Ashlee Lollback, Hugh Parker, Pacharo Mzembe, Haroon Jafarey-Hall, Shaun King, Craig Gaffney, Rob Horton and Sophia Emberson-Bain.
One of the most difficult genres to pull off on an indie budget is science fiction, trying to convincingly go beyond simple reality is tricky to do convincingly but Space/Time is actually a pretty good example of how to do it. They don’t overcomplicate things, they keep the focus on the story and its tension, they’re not over-extending themselves with special effects, they keep the action and conflict fairly contained, and they keep a good stride with the pacing.
The key part of that is how Michael O’Halloran and Adam Harmer deliver the story, it may take a while to find its footing, but when it does it almost has the feel of a classic family adventure. It has a touch of the 1980s, where there was simpler storytelling, knowing how to keep your audience’s attention and add risk and danger, without becoming convoluted or ultra-violent. The progression is nicely consistent, then it bumps up the pacing in the later scenes which works really well. Its non-linear timeline also surprisingly works well, it’s hit and miss at first but once it gets going, it’s a good fit for the bigger picture.
The directorial style from O’Halloran similarly is okay at first but gets stronger in the second half. Initially the way the camera moves feels more fitted to romance than sci-fi but that doesn’t hold it back from building tension. It can also wander through cliched or cheesy territory and hit some sentimental notes, but those choices do arguably fit with Space/Time’s overall tone. There’s also a good score that helps enhance its tenser moments. It can be visually a little rough around the edges at times but it’s decent work.
Another key element of an independent sci-fi feature is the performances, because they can so often be the deciding factor of whether it works, or absolutely does not and the ensemble thankfully does a good job here. Ashlee Lollback is a solid lead, she’s relatable, intelligent and capable. Hugh Parker slides perfectly into that classic male scientist role, forever leaving audiences questioning their intentions, are they trustworthy? Are they taking too many risks? It’s nicely familiar territory and Parker really adds to the tension.
Space/Time is a solid piece of sci-fi entertainment, with a good story, characters and cleverly understands its limitations. It gets stronger as time goes on, it can be a bit rocky to begin with, but it holds your attention surprisingly well and the payoff is definitely worth it. The writing and direction both improve with time and build well to its big final scenes. The ensemble is reliable and enjoyable, and it’s always a bonus that it comes in at that sweet spot of ninety-minutes.
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