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The Quiet Earth (1985)

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Overall Rating 67%
Overall Rating
Ranked #3,174
...out of 20,196 movies
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A man wakes up to find himself literally alone in the world, and goes about trying to find other survivors, as well as to find out what happened. He suspects that a government research project he was involved in had something to do with the disappearance of everyone. Eventually he finds several other people, and once they begin to trust each other they try to figure out why they were left on earth. --IMDb
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Review by Chad
Added: July 28, 2006
Sometimes, it's really hard to write a review for a particular movie without spoiling things. Should I write it in such a way as to be spoiler-free in my own eyes, or should I give away the information that is presented both in the trailer and on the synopsis on the back of the DVD case? It's a tough decision, but in this case, I'm going to describe the movie in the completely spoiler-free fashion; be warned, however, that reading the back of said DVD case (or just about any other description of the movie) will, in my eyes, spoil the movie.

The movie centers around a scientist named Zac Hobson (the late Bruno Lawrence), who wakes up one day at 6:12 A.M. to find the sun high in the sky and shining brightly. This is a bit unusual, he seems to think, but he gets dressed and heads out to work regardless. This is where things get odd, because as he travels to work, he realizes that there isn't a single living soul to be found. There are no drivers on the road, nobody at the local gas station, nobody in the neighboring houses, nothing - and there are no bodies, either. As he moves further into the city, these thoughts are confirmed when he finds the wrecked remains of an airplane that has fallen from the sky. All of the seatbelts are still fastened, yet there's not a single body or drop of blood to be found among the wreckage. With this bizarre discovery in mind, Zac sets out to find any other human survivors, have a bit of fun with his newfound freedom, find out what exactly happened, and avoid going insane. That last one doesn't work out too well, however, but something happens towards the middle of the film that considerably changes the situation.

This is where things get spoiled by the press for this movie, in my opinion, because that "something happens" is revealed in damned near every piece of information about the film. Personally, I would have preferred not to know about it before watching the movie, so I'll omit all references to it from my review.

Now then, my thoughts on the movie at hand. This isn't labeled "science fiction" for nothing, as there are a lot of bizarre events to be found throughout the running time of the film. We find out bits and pieces about what's going on, and it involves a lot of technological advances that, while highly unlikely in the real world, sound convincing in the movie world. Much like a magic show, movies are supposed to be about the suspension of belief; while you know that what you're seeing isn't possible (or is it?), the better movies can convince you, if just for a few moments, that the events found within are entirely possible. On that level, the storyline found within succeeds.

I won't insult the intelligence of you fine readers by saying that the general "one man alone in the world" storyline is fresh and original; The Omega Man did it brilliantly, as did an episode or two of The Twilight Zone and a slew of other lesser-known films. However, what sets this film apart from the rest is the execution and the visuals. While the film was shot on a shoestring budget, director Geoff Murphy manages to create some truly haunting visuals, including an ending that you won't soon forget. While I won't go into detail about that, I will gush about the aforementioned airplane scene. This scene and the way that it's shot is a thing of beauty, and it truly symbolizes the isolated tone of the film. Amateur filmmakers who are shooting films on a low budget should watch this scene and see how a few (assumedly) cheap props can be made to look highly realistic and shot in such a way as to be thoroughly convincing.

To be honest, science fiction films such as this aren't my normal cup of tea; I hated Star Wars, Star Trek, and damned near every other film that focuses on sci-fi themes. This one, however, I'll make an exception for - the film was entertaining, intelligent, and a well-spent night in front of the television. Highly recommended - 8/10.
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