65

Grade: B-

There are only four actors in 65. The stunt people outnumber the cast by about 500%. In these times of sprawling epics that can exceed the 3 hour mark, 65 – in theaters now – is an unintimidating, fairly enjoyable sci-fi romp. It’s not overblown, and it’s light on plot (almost to a fault). This is a meat-and-potatoes movie that hits it and quits it.

Adam Driver stars as Mills, a professional space pilot. He is about to embark on a mission that will keep him from his family for two years, but it’s all so he can afford treatment for his daughter, who is ailing from an undisclosed disease. After a sweet scene on the beach where we briefly meet his wife and daughter, and he coaches her on how to make that whistling sound when you put your hands together and blow into your palms, we are off to the races.

This movie takes place 65 million years ago, yet there are space travelers with amazing technology, some of which we don’t have yet. Either that, or Driver’s character time-travels. I’m not sure. Either way, he accidentally crash-lands on Earth. The only other survivor is a pre-teen girl, who he has to wake up from cryogenic sleep. She’s about his daughter’s age, and reminds him of her. They don’t speak each other’s language, but Driver’s chemistry with Ariana Greenblatt is as good as can be expected from an hour and a half action extravaganza that is light on exposition.

Together, they must brave the elements, animals, asteroids, meteors, quicksand, and whatever else nature throws at them to get to an escape pod on the other side of the mountain. 65 is a film too short to be insufferable. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who co-wrote the Quiet Place movies, keep things moving efficiently. As someone who is affected by jump scares to an embarrassing level, many of the ones here didn’t “get” me. 65’s best jump scare was spoiled in the trailer. Characters are looking in a certain direction for the source of an ominous sound, when suddenly it shows up…not where they were looking.

The biggest reason to see 65 is the visual/technical spectacle. The beautiful locations, dinosaurs, other unusual animals and insects, and cinematography make this a somewhat worthwhile experience. The quiet parts have a relaxing calming effect, like one of those videos you might wander into in a science museum – the ones they show on a big screen in a large dark theater. There’s little in the way of backstory, and nothing in the way of epilogue. 65 pretty much cuts to the chase, and ends immediately after said chase is over. And at an hour and 33 minutes, you can’t accuse it of having fluff.

Grade: B-