This one's a mashup of "Flowers for Algernon" (Daniel Keyes, 1958) and "Contact" (Carl Sagan, 1985). Although it's derivative, the combo is really something fresh and new. Nathan Dalton manages to create a compelling story by taking elements of those two old science fiction classics and weaving them into a film that keeps you glued to the screen. There's real character development, plenty of clues to help the audience follow the plot, and lots of techno speak that's actually consistent with known science. (Although the idea of "radiation" from "dark" matter is somewhat of an oxymoron.) There are a few other instances of creative license, but for the most part it's believable.
The part where it departs from reality is in the motivations and behaviors of the characters. They seem to make unnatural decisions at times and don't always act like real people. But it's not uncommon in film to bend character behavior to advance the plot, so you just suspend disbelief and enjoy the movie.
The sound track was great. It set the mood and really helped provide clues about the plot and the emotions of the characters. The cinematography was likewise supportive of the moods and plot and didn't overpower the action happening on the screen. The acting performances, from relatively unknown actors, was superb. All these elements in the final product (with an insanely tiny budget) point to an extremely competent director whom I'm sure we have not heard the last of.
Overall, a great film if you are looking for a character-driven drama/scifi with lots of thought-provoking dialogue and you don't care about tons of special effects and starship shootouts.
Triggers: brief headline text ~80wpm, one subtle and minor ethnic reference
