Indie filmmaking can be wonderfully weird and unexpectedly poignant. Where else could a bittersweet meditation on love and loss unfold through the lens of sci-fi horror? Wellwood, written by Reid Collums and directed by Eliza Hooper, has your answer. The production is gorgeous, the practical f/x a delight, and the on-screen romance between the two leads could make a chemistry lab combust. That said, the star-struck love story simmers a little too slowly, it sometimes feels like it needs warp drive to ignite the extraterrestrial horror.
Wellwood is an evocative, metaphor-rich story about grief, longing, and the alien lengths we'll go to for love. Wellwood doesn't shy away from the slow, sometimes melancholy beats of its narrative, and while it may not zoom at warp speed, it delivers a contemplative what if that lingers long after the credits roll. Just don't expect a Lucasfilm ending-this one's got more heartache than hover bikes.
