Fast Color (2019)

Fast Color (2019)

 

5/10

Starring

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Lorraine Toussaint

Saniyya Sidney

 

Directed by Julia Hart

For a good film, which this is, it’s not well-paced. The suspense is timid, and the lack of physical conflict (except for the one scene where our lead shoots the scientist in the hand) makes the movie feel a little too light. The bad pacing turns some moments into a snooze fest.

So, what else do I find good about this movie? I guess that would be the acting and the idea. Gugu Mbatha-Raw was fantastic in this movie, I have to recognize that. Then, the movie's idea is very different and explores the natural life of a lady struggling with her superpowers.

The writing, however, wasted screen time on elongated scenes that led nowhere and got sidetracked by female empowerment themes. This movie tries to pass a message on female empowerment and their challenges, but it does so by spending too much time on lines that could cure insomnia. I could have gotten the whole message of female struggle in less time than the movie used.

The plot explores the life of Ruth (Mbatha-Raw). Ruth is on the run and is being chased by an agency wanting to study her. In her plight, she runs back to the place she came from—she runs back home. It is there we discover there’s more to Ruth, and that her powers are genetically linked. We meet Ruth’s daughter, whom she left behind with her mother, Bo, when she was finding it hard to control her powers. Ruth hopes to get help from her mother in learning to control her powers, but she conceals from her mother her whereabouts and how she got back home.

We see her try to mend things with her daughter while also attempting to get her powers back under control. All this while, the agency is tracking her.

Maybe it’s my male testosterone talking, but I was expecting a showdown at the end, with the ladies getting the upper hand and leaving everyone else behind. Instead, the showdown seemed like it was going to take place, but then it didn’t.

The movie would have been better if it were thirty minutes shorter and maybe had one or two fights. The movie is directed and co-written by Julia Hart.

If you want to see a superhero film without all the extensive special effects and high-intensity musical scores, then Fast Color is the gig for you. I’d advise, though, not to watch this movie at night, as there’s a chance you’ll fall asleep during the dull moments.