Chaos Walking (2021) - Decent dystopian science-fiction movie that doesn't leave a mark - 7/10 (28/06/21)

Chaos Walking is a science-fiction movie based upon the young adult novel series of the same title by Patrick Ness. The movie took several years to make, promote and release. The fact that the physical release includes about forty-five minutes of deleted scenes shows that many changes have been made.

The final result is an above average to good genre flick that should appeal to teenagers and young adults. The story revolves around a colony on a distant planet two hundred years in the future. The viewers follow Todd Hewitt, a teenager working on a farm in Prentisstown. He believes that all women of the colony have been annihilated by a species known as Spackles. The surviving men experience a phenomenon known as the Noise: they can hear the thoughts of everyone around them. One day, a spaceship crashes next to Todd Hewitt's farm. Its only survivor is a mysterious female named Viola who doesn't have the Noise. While megalomaniac Mayor Prentiss and insane preacher Aaron want to catch and harm Viola, Todd Hewitt falls in love with her and decides to save her. The young couple goes on an epic journey that will help them understand their past, present and future.

This film convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the locations are mostly intriguing and well-chosen, finding a good balance between futuristic and conservative environments. The special effects are immersive, both on the visual and especially on the auditory side. The actresses and actors are mostly convincing, especially the villains portrayed by a gritty Mads Mikkelsen and a psychopathic David Oyelowo. The movie has fluid pace and a perfect length just above an hour and a half.

There are also a few flaws that need to be pointed out. The plot is overall quite predictable and seems like a mixture of multiple dystopian science-fiction novels and movies. Some side characters are poorly developed, such as the farmers Todd Hewitt grew up with or the intriguing character of the priest. The weakest actor in this film is lead actor Tom Holland. He is lacking charisma and seems to be quite exchangeable.

At the end of the day, Chaos Walking is an entertaining dystopian science-fiction movie for genre fans as well as teenage and young adult audiences. The movie has received negative reviews from fans of the novel series which can be observed in most film adaptations of literary works. Once you ignore those who can never be pleased, you will realize that this is a decent movie but lacking creativity to truly leave a mark.