Indie movies are interesting; sometimes, they can really surprise me. Then there are movies like Voidance, which do not surprise me.
I hate reviews like this. On the one hand, I understand how indie movies are important. They have more creative freedom than Hollywood, and a lot of work goes into them. On the other hand, we won’t shill here at the Last Movie Outpost, and always give an honest review.
I also appreciate that people who worked on Voidance might read this review. However, staying honest, this isn’t going to be pretty.
Voidance stars Zoe Cunningham, James Cosmo, Eloise Lovell Anderson, Chrissie Wunna, Neil Bishop, Mim Shaikh, Billy Price, and Anna Fraser.
The Story
Not sure where to start, but the official story is:
To join the elite ATIC Guard, Alana Toro must stop a simulated terrorist attack, but every attempt takes her further from the sanctioned solution.
Think the Kobayashi Maru, a simulation that you cannot win. However, in Voidance, you can win it. Also think Source Code, but without any major threat or danger.
There is a plot to why Alana (Cunningham) is doing what she’s doing; it’s something about terrorists and a plot to blow something up. I am genuinely trying to remember, and it’s difficult because of other issues. Those issues being.
The Cast
I’m honestly sitting here trying to put this nicely, but I just can’t. Cunningham, the main protagonist, is terribly miscast in this. In fact, and again, I’m sorry if any of the production reads this, but…
It honestly felt like Cunningham’s daughter got the original role, but on the first day of filming, she got a better offer and just didn’t turn up. Cunningham had been through all the lines, so they just let her fill in.
Again, I don’t like to be mean, but there was zero charisma or screen presence from her. She’s supposed to be a ‘woman of talents’, so she can easily complete the assessment. However, there are times she’s more useless than a plot in a Disney movie.
At one point, there’s a Mexican standoff, someone jumps, and it takes Alana what seems like a minute to react. I honestly laughed out loud. It’s like her ping was 3,000.
Cunningham seems like a nice person, and I’m sure she’s a fine actress, but not in Voidance, she isn’t.
The rest of the cast are the same; there are some good performances, but at the same time, there are not. Because the acting is all over the shop, there’s no vested interest in any of the characters or story.
Sci-Fi Adventure?
I said when the trailer hit, Voidance looks like it was shot in the leftover sets from Red Dwarf; this wasn’t a compliment. The set for the movie is very basic, which I get, as I said, it’s indie, and they just don’t have the budget.
The problem is that it looks cheap. At one point, a ‘door’, which is really a teleporter to another area, is locked down. How will Alana get through the door and complete her mission? Simple, pull out some wires, shove them in somewhere else and problem solved. Again, I heartily laughed at this.
In the story, there is a subplot about a religious faction, but again, I was so far removed from the story that I didn’t really understand what was going on, or care. The entire thing was a simulation anyway, at the end of it, Alana was going to get a promotion, so who cares?
In Star Trek II, Saavik is on the Kobayashi Maru and fails, which was the point. However, later in the movie, she and the rest of the crew are in real danger, and lives are at stake. In Voidance, when Alana fails, it’s just reset and back to square one; no harm, no danger, no stakes. I think she has 20 chances, which again, seems silly, it was like watching someone play a level of Super Mario, and just learn where the bad guys are. In real life, there are no resets.
Overall
As I said, I try to be as nice as I can with indie movies, and always try to give them the benefit of the doubt. However, I’m always going to be honest, Voidance doesn’t have any redeeming qualities.
I appreciate that a lot of people worked on this movie and put a lot of effort into it, but it just doesn’t pay off. It’s not interesting, the story is lost early on, and it all feels cheap. Don’t get me wrong, I have seen cheaper movies with far better production.
The main thing, for me at least, is the story; it must be solid. Again, I’ve seen movies with zero budget, but a gripping story. Voidance is lacking in both.
If any of the production team do read this, I’m sorry, and I really hope the movie does well for you, but it just didn’t work for me at all. I’m not going to give it a star rating, as I think it would add insult to injury, but you can see where it would be.
Voidance will be on digital on the 26th of May.
