Film Review: The Titan (2018)

We live in interesting times when certain words are disappearing from the dictionary. One example might be the phrase “direct-to-video,” which seems likely to fall completely out of use in perhaps just a few years. The reason is not so much that video stores, VHS tapes, and DVDs—the mediums through which these films were distributed—have vanished, but rather that the stigma of inferiority once attached to films never intended for cinema screens is slowly fading. One factor behind this shift is Netflix, a corporation that has begun to seriously challenge the most fundamental aspects of the global film industry, primarily due to its willingness to bypass traditional distribution risks that would make any conventional studio hesitate. The result is a string of productions that, thanks to their budgets or star power, appear more than worthy of the big screen, yet still end up exclusively on the small one. Occasionally, some of these Netflix films slip through the cracks in global distribution and become accessible to cinema audiences in certain countries. In Croatia’s case, one such example is the sci-fi film The Titan, the debut of German director Lennart Ruff.

The film is set in 2048, a world in dramatically worse shape than today. A population explosion that dwindling resources can no longer sustain, alongside ecological and other disasters, threatens to render Earth uninhabitable. Humanity’s only hope for survival lies in space colonisation, with Saturn’s moon Titan deemed the most viable location within the solar system. However, Titan presents extreme cold, weak sunlight, and an unbreathable atmosphere. Professor Collingwood (Tom Wilkinson) concludes that building artificial habitats is impractical and terraforming impossible, but proposes a far simpler—though radically unconventional—alternative: instead of adapting Titan to humans, he develops an experimental gene therapy to modify human bodies to Titan’s conditions. Lieutenant Rick Janssen (Sam Worthington), a pilot who survived three days without water in the Syrian desert, appears the ideal candidate for the NATO-backed programme. Along with his wife Abigail (Taylor Schilling) and son Lucas (Noah Jupe), he arrives at a base where, alongside other selected volunteers, they live in luxurious villas while undergoing medical examinations and therapy. Though initially idyllic, the treatment proves far from safe—for both the future “Titans” and their loved ones. As the process advances, Rick and his comrades begin losing recognisable human features, morphing into grotesque creatures, raising questions about whether they still consider themselves human or feel any connection to their families.

Like many sci-fi films, The Titan initially adheres to the parameters of “hard” science fiction—that is, its definition as a “genre of ideas.” Max Hurwitz’s screenplay offers a reasonably intriguing departure from clichés common in space colonisation narratives, providing potential for plot twists and intelligent exploration of what defines human existence and identity. It also smuggles in commentary on current events, particularly the Syrian conflict, which the film suggests will persist for decades. However, the well-constructed setup and relatively solid direction by debutant Ruff fail to save the film from significant flaws. The casting is notably poor, chiefly due to the notoriously bland and forgettable Sam Worthington in the lead role—a part easily outshone by Schilling, a far superior actor known for Orange Is the New Black, who emerges as the true protagonist. Even more tragic is supermodel Agyness Heyn’s portrayal of Collingwood’s assistant, exacerbated by a screenplay that never explains or even hints at her motivations by the climax. Sadder still, the script becomes bogged down in the author’s dilemma: whether to pursue a “serious” sci-fi film or succumb to clichés and shock audiences with bug-eyed monsters. This is resolved in the worst possible way—a pathetic hybrid of horror and quasi-political thriller—capped by a thoroughly unconvincing deus ex machina involving once much talked about, now largely inactive American federal agency. The result is a colossal disappointment: a film that not only would have landed straight on the direct-to-video shelf in the old days but thoroughly deserved to.

RATING: 3/10 (+)

(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available

.)

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