Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (4293)

Content

Kelly (279 KP) rated The Humanity Bureau (2017) in Movies

Dec 6, 2018

Classical dystopian film (0 more)

Slow pace in parts (1 more)

Predictable

Worth a watch

Contains spoilers, click to show

Nicolas Cage stars in this dystopian film, set in a society where individuals who are believed not to contribute enough to society are sent to ‘New Eden’. Nicolas Cage plays the role of Noah, a government agent, who is sent to assess cases of people who are about to be evicted and transported to New Eden, a place where we are repeatedly told people are never heard from again.

Noah is sent to assess the case of Rachel and Lucas, a mother and son, who are struggling to make ends meat. Noah is quick to give the family an extension, defying orders. This action sparks a response from Noah’s bosses, and forces Noah to support Rachel and Lucas in their escape. The bulk of the movie is focused on the escape of the three across a land that we are told is radioactive and waste land. Elements of this part of the story are very slow paced for my liking, I prefer a bit more action than the behind the wheel reminiscing of Noah.

The plot line does keep its secrets until the end, although these are a little predictable, for example New Eden is a place we’re people do not make it out alive. The most difficult to believe twist though, was that of Lucas being Noah’s son, and Rachel not being the biological mother. I felt that the connection between the characters could have been thought out on a more emotional level, this seemed to be an afterthought forced into the plot in order to ensure that it made more sense.

Perhaps I have watched too many dystopian movies, but I struggled to find any ideas that were really unique to this film, which recycled ideas from stories such as Logan’s run and hunger games.

Overall the acting was good and it was not an overly bad movie, but there were issues with the pace and plot line.