The Discovery (2017)

Film Review: "The Discovery" (2017)Online distributor Netflix films presents this wannabe science-fiction movie that is unable to build an emotional arc for any character given by an original script by Justin Lader and director Charlie McDowell, who then prepares an ensemble cast surrounding Rooney Mara as constant-exploring character of Isla, diving-into a medical institution from nowhere build by Dr. Thomas Harper and his son, professionally without any further out-going beats of medicine-indulging portrayals by Robert Redford and Jason Segel as distressed-looking Will Harper with no transition in character, when suspense-denying cinematography by lighting cameraman Sturla Brandth Grovlen, who was given no forth-coming instructions by director Charlie McDowell to move the camera on any interior fairly-designed locations.The on the page seemingly gripping story of the seemingly socialized death-institution-build-up by the medical Harper family, when suicide, as practice to escape pain of living, becomes a daily business with 4,000,000 dead and counting, gives this picture plenty of opportunity to build an arc for the newly-entering relationship between Isla & Will, who have moments of convictions in a plain dormitory bedroom, but then again fall short, when it comes to corpse-carrying and machine-connecting experiments of life-after-death visualization on digital tablets due to no-given-story-turns of diving deeper in the human conscious, calling out an inconceivable thrills-abandoning mixture of Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein" from 1818 (also known as "The Modern Prometheus") and "Flatliners" (1990), when even utmost motivated actress Riley Keough as envy-spreading nemesis character Lacey, with Robert Redford stage-taking scene of confrontation becomes utterly lost at times of an emotionally-distant showdown.FAZIT: Picture rejected (disastrous) © 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

'THE DISCOVERY': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)A sci-fi romantic drama about a world where an afterlife has been scientifically proven, and how that knowledge drastically affects society. It was directed by Charlie McDowell, and it was written by McDowell and Justin Lade (the duo also teamed on 2014's 'THE ONE I LOVE'). The film stars Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Robert Redford, Jesse Plemons, Riley Keough and Ron Canada. It's received mixed reviews from critics, and it was released by Netflix through their streaming site. I found the movie itself to be a little disappointing, due to the extremely promising premise and setup. The story takes place two years after 'the discovery of an afterlife', by Thomas Harbor (Redford). The scientific proof of an afterlife has caused an extremely dramatic increase in suicides. Thomas's son, Will (Segel), blames his father for the high suicide rate. He travels to see him, at an isolated mansion, where Thomas is doing more research on his findings. Will meets a suicidal woman on his trip, named Isla (Mara), who he later prevents from killing herself. He then brings Isla to his father's mansion, and the two assist him in his research there. The whole time Will is extremely skeptical about the damage they're doing to society, with these new findings.The movie is extremely dark and depressing, for almost it's entire running length. Like I said, the idea for the film is really intriguing, and fascinating, but it's definitely not fun watching it play out. The performances are decent, and the climax is somewhat interesting, and unpredictable, as well. I had hoped for a lot more from it though, when I started watching it.

The beautifully directed and acted movie sends out a powerful message with the implication that suicide is not the way to reach an afterlife, which is indeed an alternate reality from our own reality, where we get a second chance to correct our mistakes. A thorough exploration and masterful presentation makes the movie a masterpiece.

Will, who is against his fathers Thomas experiments, says something along the lines of:"whatever purpose we have in this life it is not about killing."It is about compromise and working out a solution acceptable to all. We have to learn what we are supposed to learn right here, in this place, not the one after.In reality there is of course overwhelming evidence for life after death. The character Thomas is the movie version of Raymond Moody.Having myself experienced an NDE at age 7 I can tell you that the afterlife has nothing to do with being stuck in a Groundhog Day style loop of trying to rectify mistakes of your past.But it is a cute idea.