The Alternate

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Scratches all of the scifi itches that one would want from the film. Fantastic performances, lighting, and an overall excellent story. It has been awhile since I initially saw it but I have been recommending it to people left and right and everyone comes away happy. I think that this is a filmmaking team that is up and coming and everyone should keep paying attention to them.

There are a lot of schlocky scifi films out there that don't have the story to fit their budget but I think that all of the elements line up right in this one and the filmmakers are making the best of the resources that they have.

This movie had a cool exploration of some interesting philosophical "what if" ideas through an original and intriguing sci-fi premise. Performances were just okay, but cinematography was solid: moody and dramatic. The music, sound design and editing were top notch. It felt a little bit like TV, but felt very pro for an independent movie. A bigger budget would fix that. Impressive first effort from the director. Excited to see what he does next!

If you like sci-fi or Twilight Zone-style explorations of of ontological questions (is it cheating if you're having sex with your wife in another dimension?), this is the one for you.

Low budget ? Sure.

Engaging storyline ? Indeed.

Decent acting? Yep.

Additionally, the film boasts some truly impressive camerawork.

Being its first feature movie, director Alrik Bursell has crafted a streamlined sci-fi romp that never boxes above its weight while telling a relatable premise. At about 85 minutes to the credit run, The Alternate wastes little time either pondering or explaining the scientific "hows" of its story. It's all made up, it doesn't matter, and you won't care. Solid and convincing, it keeps the audience invested in the outcome of it all.

What else can you wish for ?

Read the novel 3 weeks ago. The main theme and thread of this movie is exactly the same as "dark matter" by blake crouch but i dont see them giving any credit to the original book.

This movie is an oversimplification of the book. In the original (i'm 100% sure they were inspired by/stole the ideas from it) the protagonist went through a cascades of troubles to get back to his love. Traveled to dozens of multi-universes to finally get back to his world and got his version of girl back.

This knock off in comparison, leaves out all the intricacies and subtle emotions and psychological observations which made the real one successful.

Anyways, overall its not terrible, its watchable. Dialogues are very light, like they were written by elementary school students. So its a nice brainless relaxation, def worth it to watch it on a drunken miserable night alone at home.

Here's a low budget Sci-Fi, that never manages to amaze but is also not terrible. The story is about a man that (in rather sketchy circumstances), creates a portal to an alternate reality, but once he sees how different it is, things get complicated and morals are tested. This is an engaging and thought provoking storyline, even though it never is pushed to it's full potential.

The acting is OK, if a little rusty in places, but i have to say, i really didn't like the female lead at all. It felt like she was trying too hard to differentiate between the 2 personalities of her characters.

The script was a little ropey too. That being said, the story develops well and with a sensible running time, it doesn't drag at all, unlike some similar movies.

I did enjoy this movie, but i must confess, i think that could be mostly because i like this type of film, because after all, when i think about it back, this didn't really add anything exciting to the genre. So if you are like me and like the idea of mysterious psuedo-science, then you'll probably like this too, if not, then you may feel like passing this one by.