Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains some spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Color Out of Space’. It is definitely safe to say, that each and every human being out there, firmly believes that they are in utter control of everything that happens to them in their lives and there is good reason as to why we collectively believe this. For we are the masters of our domain, and we are able to choose our own career fields, what we wish to eat and how we want to live. And when a species is able to do that day in and day out, and run into minimal issues in making that happen, such a belief comes a reality for so many. But while it is nice that we feel as though the universe and all of its spoils are at our fingertips whenever we choose to reach out and grasp them, this particular belief is a false one for certain. Because the fact of the matter is, we only control so much in our lives. Which is why we find ourselves in quite the despondent and surprised place when we lose a job, we worked to so hard to obtain, or come to learn that someone we love no longer feels the same way about us, or when we come to discover that someone that means the world to us is gravely ill or has passed into the great beyond. Because those moments tend to remind us that complete control is nothing more than a myth and truly, what matters most when the rough stuff comes our way… is how we respond to it. Because these snippets of chaos can in fact, throw us off track and/or break us completely if we let them and really, all of this is relevant to our discussion today, simply because the power of chaos and how we need to respond appropriately to it, serve as the focal themes of the powerful and disturbing motion picture, Color Out of Space. Now in this particular film we are introduced to the Gardner family and they are simply trying to put the pieces of their lives back together. For the matriarch of the family, Theresa, is a cancer survivor and the scare her experience put everyone through motivated the father of the family, Nathan, to move his clan to a farm on the outskirts of a town named Arkham; all so they can all enjoy peace and unity and togetherness as a family. A plan that seemingly has worked since the family is indeed together under one roof and living a peaceful life amongst the wonder of nature. But as is often the case in life, all good things must come to an end, and the arrival of a mysterious meteorite is going to ruin their idyllic lifestyle and their lives. For this meteorite is more than a mere surprise from the void… it is a sentient creature that must know more about mankind and its world and it is eager to infect flesh and earth in order to satiate its curiosity. So, it’s probably best we get this out of the way right now and point out that this is a supremely unsettling film through and through for several reasons and the first one we are going to talk about today… relates to the notion of control. Because we are in essence, introduced to a broken family in this tale, one that is refusing to deal with the brush with death that their mother experienced and has instead opted to try and regain control of the narrative and the situation by straight up hiding in the woods, away from the world and its ills in some strange hope that isolation will heal them. Which is difficult to watch for certain, since everyone in the Graham family exhibits negative behaviors that we all have taken part in over the years. But while this part of the film is relatable and poignant since it really does remind us that we cannot run from our problems or the surprises that life sends our way… the movie truly doesn’t shine until the horror begins, since their closed-minded actions allow for incredible terror to unfold. Because the family is completely and utterly aware of the fact that they are in danger and that the meteorite is responsible for all the strange things happening around their house. But since they are so obsessed with maintaining control and their status quo, they ignore the warning signs and the danger and that of course leads to utter disaster for the family, and more poignant commentary as well, since this segment of the story points out that we have to stand tall and deal with chaos when it arrives, otherwise it will consume us and potentially ruin us. But what truly makes this segment of the story so horrifying, is the sheer fact that the meteorite does awful things in order to properly understand humanity and life on this world and that leads to some stunning visual sequences. The kind that make you squirm in your seat and cringe as you watch new horrors unfold before your eyes. Since the awful events that happen in the third act of this feature are pure Lovecraft through and through. In the end however, this really is quite the quality horror film. Simply because it offers up some intimate commentary on our fragility and our arrogance when it comes to our belief in control. But also, because this is a damn scary film through and through, one that wears on you and builds tension in a magnificent manner and one key reason that everything works so well in this film, is its cast. Because every actor in this story sells the moment to a tee and truly Nicolas Cage puts on a tour-de-force performance here, one that is both refined and psychotic in all the right ways and really, all of these elements make this particular horror movie an absolute must-see. Simply because this one provides fans of this genre with everything that makes it great, and this is one that will haunt you for quite some time after its come to an end, thanks to its shocking visuals and astute observations on the chaos that surrounds us. 'Color Out of Space' is streaming now, exclusively on Shudder.
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