The Black Spot Review

The Black Spot is a 2019 sci-fi feature film from director Oliver Rogers.

While this is a remarkable achievement that an entire feature film was able to be made with a budget of less than $3,000 The Black Spot can’t help but show signs of it in the story that follows.

Of course, going into a film made with a complete DIY spirit there will never be any level of perfection expected, I was still taken by surprise how far they were able to stretch this limitation into something great, only for it to be ultimately let down by the story.

What I love here is the way in which everything is presented. The stark black and white imagery along with slow moving camera shots have moments of real ingenuity to them. The first 10 or so minutes of the film really stand tall. Once heavy exposition and vague motivations start to take over though is where things just kind of come apart.

While the concept of this secretive government run facility always makes for solid fodder in the sci fi genre it is delivered in an uneven manner here. On one hand a highly classified facility with secrets that the public needs to know, on the other a group that seems completely unorganized and sloppy with how they execute their duties. It doesn’t manage to feel menacing or quirky enough to find a footing in campy 60s style B movie schlock or to feel like a truly imposing force.

For what it is worth everyone commits to their parts with solid performances across the board. The backstory for most came too late for me. For example, not really finding out about where Soldier 23 came to be in this organization until a little after 40 minutes in, felt far too late, only to give a direct connection as to why he would care about saving Jasmine at all, mere moments before her introduction.

Again, I know it is not fair to come in with certain demands of smaller features such as this but what lore I was given I honestly found myself wanting to see more of. In an early interrogation scene, it all seemed so unique, but we are not shown much of anything, which just felt like a bit of a let down in some moments, that could have alleviated some of these talking points.

I love the look, the concept, the world, and the style. It feels like a love letter to a Stanley Kubrick film, a kind of cousin to Dr. Strangelove if you will, but it just doesn’t find footing in satire or seriousness. I applaud the team for making this film happen, and when you consider the budget against what was delivered it is quite remarkable. There are some serious moments of high production value, which I really enjoyed. Ultimately though this just needed to be a little smaller in scope, but I can never be too harsh on those who swing for the fences. That is the only way we learn, and for that I give a huge thanks to the entire team.

To follow on social media: Website

Cheers!

Daniel Hess

For more reviews and content stick with To Tony Productions and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog to stay up to date!