Phil's Sci-Fi Theater: TERMINUS (2015) from Vertical Entertainment - March 11, 2016

TERMINUS DVD Cover (2016)

TERMINUS

Starring: Jai Koutrae, Kendra Appleton, Todd Lasance, Bren Foster, Brendan Clearkin, Vincent Andriano, Katherine Hicks, William Emmons

Written by Marc Furmie, Shiyan Zheng  & Gabriel Dowrick

Cinematography by Kieran Fowler

Edited by Gabriel Dowrick
Produced by Brett Thornquest & Tim Maddocks

Directed by Marc Furmie

Distributed by Vertical Entertainment

Hello again folks and welcome to the debut of a new series that I call Phil's Sci-Fi Theater. There's been a lot of great science fiction movies being released, so I thought it was time to start reviewing more of them. The first film to be reviewed in this new series was something of a surprised. My fiancee saw the trailer for this and wanted to check it out. She showed it to me and I thought t looked pretty cool as well. However, this was no ordinary science fiction film, even though the trailer made it look that way. Needless to say, we were totally blown away by today's film TERMINUS from Vertical Entertainment.

The film's official synopsis: For small town auto mechanic David Chamberlain (Jai Koutrae), life is a constant struggle as he deals with the death of his wife while supporting his daughter, Annabelle (Kendra Appleton). After a night of drinking David is blinded by the light of a falling meteor and crashes his car. His injuries are miraculously healed by a magical essence within the meteor, and he knows he has stumbled onto something big. As the rest of the world rapidly succumbs to war and desperation, David works tirelessly to protect the mystical orb, enlisting a young Iraqi war veteran, Zach (Todd Lasance), who experiences his own healing. Their secret work draws the attention of rogue government agents, and as all hell breaks loose in the rest of the world, David, Zach, and Annabelle engage in a deadly battle to protect the future of humankind.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2016)

What I found fascinating about the movie is that it's more of a character study and drama than a sci-if film. Writer/director Marc Furmie along writers Shiyan Zheng and Gabriel Dowrick crafted an intelligent script poses questions about Armageddon, love, death and destiny while answering some of them. Sometimes the answers that we seek lead to even more questions, which can either frustrate us or enlighten us. The film's plot examines many of life's themes, which are then woven between our three main leads. A thoughtful, emotionally charged script that transcends the standard norm of what a sci-fi should be.

Another outstanding aspect is the sensational acting by our main protagonists. Koutrae's portrayal of grief stricken father David is both sympathetic and believable. He is your everyday guy: struggling to make a living, trying to be there for his daughter while morning the loss of his lovely wife. With coming into contact with the meteor, his life has a purpose and is determined to see it through. Actress Kendra Appleton brings a level of realism to her role of Annabelle; she talks and acts like a real teenager that has depth. Her character feels authentic and not the typical two-dimensional portrayal that we see in a lot of other films. Todd Lasance's character Zach is a painful reminder that war is hell and it comes with a heavy price. We feel his pain, his struggle and his desire to be a whole person again. Powerful performances by all three leads!

While the movie's story takes place in small town America, it was actually filmed in Australia and is an Australian production. In fact, if you closely enough, there are several references to the Land Down Under (but I'll let you find those clues for yourself). The film had its world premiere at the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival back in June of 2015 before it was picked up for worldwide distribution by Vertical Entertainment in early 2016.

TERMINUS is a solid, sophisticated sci-fi drama that caters to those who wish to see something different and unique! It contains am intelligent script, empowering acting and great directing; all the main ingredients for making a truly remarkable film! You'll definitely want to check this movie out! 4 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

TERMINUS is currently available on DVD at your local retailer. It's also available on Redbox as well as on iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, Google Play and Video On Demand.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!