Existence

2020
1h 45m

IMDb RATING

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John, a promising young professor of science has recently been diagnosed with a fatal disease that gives him at most a year to live. Determined that he will not cease to exist, John experime... Read allJohn, a promising young professor of science has recently been diagnosed with a fatal disease that gives him at most a year to live. Determined that he will not cease to exist, John experimentally implements his unproven research ideas to embed his consciousness onto the internet... Read allJohn, a promising young professor of science has recently been diagnosed with a fatal disease that gives him at most a year to live. Determined that he will not cease to exist, John experimentally implements his unproven research ideas to embed his consciousness onto the internet as a simulated, or is it real, version of himself. John's wife Sarah, a first year gradua... Read all

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IMDb RATING

6.0/10

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Featured review

6/10

Surprisingly touching

I'm pleased to be first to review this writing and directing effort from David Robert Deranian and ashamed to admit I watched this movie in search of something poorly produced to give me some hints particularly about framing, dialogue recording and editing. And the movie set out as if to offer just that - with some less than perfect edits, uncontrolled background noise and more. One edit blooper around the 25 minute mark is particularly hilarious.

But then I got taken in by the plot. Granted, it's little more than a mashup of Darren Aronofsky's undervalued "The Fountain", Luc Besson's "Lucy" or even Joseph Sargent's "Colossus: The Forbin Project" on probably a fiftieth of the budget. And there are some heavy-handed references to Christianity too, though also to Ethiopian Judaism and Kabbalah, which makes the nature of the expected religious message elusive (eventually there isn't one, or at least not one of the Nick Cage D-movie variety).

And the acting which has been OK-ish to that point really takes off in the third act, Braden Bullard who plays the central character John turning in a particularly touching performance.

David Robert Deranian who wrote and directed should definitely be given another opportunity. I'm glad I stuck with the movie to the end.