Settlers is a solid science fiction movie that reminds us all that no matter where humans go, darkness, hope, and a fight for survival at any cost will follow. Settlers is now available to stream, rent or buy.
For decades, cinema has explored the colonisation of our nearest planetary neighbour, Mars, with mixed results. Some movies have opted to examine the isolation of the red planet, while others have focused on our realisation that while you can take the human away from Earth, you can’t change their behaviour.
In Settlers, Wyatt Rockefeller combines these two themes to create a confident and fascinating journey of isolation, fear, and fragility. Here, the desolate Martian landscape is stunningly recreated in South Africa’s Namaqualand desert in a bold feature debut from Rockefeller with moments of brilliance. However, despite solid performances throughout and visual flair, Settlers also struggles to fully embrace some of the themes it raises during its runtime, with the tension of the opening half falling flat as we conclude.
Ilsa (Sofia Boutella), Reza (Jonny Lee Miller), and their nine-year-old daughter Remmy (Brooklynn Prince) live on an isolated small farm surrounded by the red sand mountains of Mars. Their strange, desolate home in our solar system’s stark, cold reaches offers challenge and comfort as they recount stories of the Earth they once called home. However, this is far from a harmonious home free from aggression and fear; it is a fortress fought over and won through violence. As Remmy cares for the crops and animals, mysterious outsiders watch and wait; their mission is to reclaim the safety they once knew, at any cost to Ilsa, Reza and Remmy.
Willie Net’s cinematography is sublime, as is Nitin Sawhney’s haunting score, but the biggest flaw sits in the Settlers’ uneven screenplay. Here, the narrative path never quite rises to meet the artistry, solid performances and assured direction. But, despite that, Settlers is a solid science fiction movie that reminds us all that no matter where humans go, darkness, hope, and a fight for survival at any cost will follow.
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