Spectral (2016)

Spectral (2016)

6/10

Starring

James Badge Dale

Emily Mortimer

Max Martini

Directed by Nic Mathieu

Spectral is a movie that swings high with a badass dude who has an Iron Man-level brain and can make weapons out of scrap parts. This sci-fi flick is about a U.S. war in Moldova, where American soldiers are being massacred by something invisible to the naked eye.

The production budget for this film has to be massive, given the scenery, artillery, and costumes on display. The acting is top-notch across the board, and the movie seems to be set in an altered present where human tech is highly advanced. You might need to brush up on your Einstein for this one because, in between all the jargon, there are some elements of truth. Don’t get carried away thinking about aliens when watching this film—spoiler alert: it’s not aliens. It’s something more creative than that. The writers weren’t trying to take the easy way out on this one.

The movie kicks off with American soldiers being killed by what looks like a ghost. They can’t see these things with their naked eyes, but when they adjust the settings on their helmet goggles, the ghosts become visible. These ghosts are highly dangerous. When they come into contact with a human body, the person’s organs freeze stiff, their outer body burns, and they die instantly. These ghosts can phase through walls, leap great distances, and even damage movable objects.

Enter the expert: Dr. Mark Clyne (James Badge Dale), the man who created the goggles. He’s called to Moldova to figure out what the soldiers are seeing before they die. Meanwhile, the U.S. government suspects that Moldova has developed a new form of camouflage technology and wants it for themselves.

The central challenge of the movie is stopping these ghostly entities, and Clyne is determined to find out where they’re coming from. Alongside him is Fran (Emily Mortimer), a CIA agent sent to secure the technology so the U.S. can adapt it for their own use. Naturally, the plan involves sending a bunch of soldiers to try and capture one of these ghost-like things. You’d think common sense would kick in when soldiers see their colleagues dying to something invisible and unstoppable—like, maybe run? But people can be weird under pressure.

The movie is ok, it is not a masterpiece. It is something you can watch any time, but you do not need to go out of your way to see it, if you have not seen it.