Radius (2017) - Gloomy quests for identity and security - 7/10 (17/04/19)

Radius is a gloomy science-fiction drama that convinces with solid acting performances and an intriguing story.

The Canadian movie tells the story of a man who wakes up after a car accident without remembering what happened to him, who he is or where he belongs. He soon realizes that any living being that comes too close to him dies almost instantly. The man manages to find his house and wants to put the pieces of the puzzle together while local media suspect terrorism behind the strange deaths. Before he can fully understand what happened to him, he is visited by a woman who seems to be the only person who can approach him without dying. Their fates seem to be intertwined and they try to understand what happened to them while local media and police officers try to track them down.

On the positive side, the film's sinister atmosphere is established with the very first scene and lasts until the shocking conclusion. The story is quite creative and has a few sinister and supernatural turns that make you wonder how you would react under similar circumstances. The two lead characters are profound and their relationship constantly shifts and changes. It's easy to empathize with them at one or another moment in the movie.

On the negative side, the film's pace is somewhat dragging at times, especially in the first twenty minutes or so before the two lead characters meet on screen for the first time. The side characters can be somewhat annoying as they are often closed-minded, constantly ignore warnings and take many questionable decisions.

In the end, Radius is a gloomy science-fiction drama that convinces with profound atmosphere, great lead characters and creative twists and turns in the story. Especially the film's radical conclusion is memorable. The movie's strong points pardon for a few lengths and annoying secondary characters. If you like atmospheric science-fiction films with a grounded interpersonal touch, you can't go wrong with Radius. Even though that movie was despised by critics, Radius reminds me positively of Shyamalan's The Happening.