The Last Days on Mars are Exciting Ones: A Movie Review

Director: Ruairi Robinson.

Writers: Sydney J. Bounds and Clive Dawson.

Cast: Liev Schreiber, Romola Garai, Elias Koteas, Charles Brunel, Olivia Williams, Johnny Harris and Goran Kostic.

The Last Days on Mars is a film adaptation of Sydney J. Bounds' short story "The Animators. The film was recently released in a few theatres and on video-on-demand (Oct. 31st, 2013). Starring Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas and Olivia Williams, the film boils down to zombies in space. Flesheaters chase astronauts through much of the film's runtime. And, The Last Days on Mars is a good blend of horror and sci-fi, which makes this film mostly exciting. Though, a few surprises are lacking. At the heart of the film is an endearing relationship between two characters. But, love and life take a backseat to looming death, in this heart pounding adventure.

The story begins with eight, bickering astronauts on Mars. Their six cabin feverish months on this barren rock are coming to an end, but a last minute discovery prolongs their departure. Anaerobic bacteria is found in a core sample. As well, water is found below ground. These two components of known life have created some sort of algae deep below Mars' surface. One astronaut gets too close to his discovery. The astronauts are contaminated by the algae and events take an upswing from here on out. Now, much of the film turns into a focus on finding an escape plan as the crew members turn into black-faced monsters. The story might be light, but the characters, actors and scenrios help sell the film.

The undead could have been a little more clever.

The Last Days on Mars mostly focuses on the characters Vincent (Schreiber) and Rebecca (Romola Garai). Together, these two have the most success defending themselves against the onslaught of space zombies. Actors Lieve Schreiber and Romola Garai have a subdued chemistry onscreen, which helps broaden the scope of the film. This title is not all about bloody murder. Vincent and Rebecca bring a little complexity in the character department.

However, this title does boil down to zombies in space. Much of the film involves chase sequences, or scenes of action as the astronauts try to deal with hostile creatures. Zombie in film have been done to death; yet, in space, there is a duality of threats. Space, in itself, is already hostile. Once you add a monstrous force into the mix, events take an uptick in tempo and tone. Fans of zombie films might appreciate the new landscape, in which the undead now dwell. It is just too bad that flesheaters are just as dumb in space as they are on Earth.

This film is a good blend of sci-fi and horror. There are a few other genres at play here (romance, adventure). Still, at its core, The Last Days on Mars is a suitable combination of science fiction and horror. Some of the best horror films, such as Event Horizon and Pandorum, bring terror out of both of these genres. In contrast, this title brings much of its thrills from the horror elements. The science fiction elements are relegated to the location, settings and costumes. The terror of space is underutilized in this release. The excitement is generated mostly from the use of darkness, the potential of infection and a sense of tragedy. These elements are grounded in horror. Irish director Ruairi Robinson uses some night shooting during a climbing sequence. This brings out some early tension. Unfortunately, darkness is only used, prominently, in a few scenes. The bacteria is spread easily and through breakages in the skin. It is not known who is infected or when, until it is too late. This is one of the only story elements which is slightly unpredictable. Finally, as the cast dwindles, the film turns further and further into tragedy. Even the protagonist's fate is at stake. The horror elements are strongest, to the detriment of the science fiction ones.

In the end, The Last Days on Mars is an entertaining time, spent in the isolation of the red planet, with a few zombies. Robinson pays homage to Aliens (1986) with a tunnel sequence. Though, this film is more a focus on horror compared to James Cameron's earlier film. Surprises are few in this title. But, Clive Dawson's screenplay does bring out tension and action in several darker sequences. The Last Days on Mars is a thrilling time and most horror fans will find an enjoyable viewing experience here. It would have been even more entertaining if the deadly nature of space could have infiltrated the story a little more deeply and darkly.

Overall: 7 out of 10 (lots of early chaos, tension ebbs and flows, only a few characters are interesting and the rest only add to the body count, a suitable open ending).

An international trailer for the film is here (very revealing):

The Last Days on Mars Trailer on 28DLA


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Posted in: 2013,horror,movie,movie review,review,science fiction,science fiction adventure movie review,science fiction movie review,space,space based horror,thriller