‘We’re at the edge of a mass extinction’
Risen is a 2021 Australian-American science fiction about a meteor that causes a gigantic alien tree to grow and release toxic spores…
Written, produced and directed by Eddie Arya, the movie stars Nicole Schalmo, Jack Campbell, Dominic Stone and Kenneth Trujillo.
Plot:
Disaster unfolds in Badger, a small farming town in the state of New York when a meteor strike contaminates the air, turning it toxic. People begin to die. Lauren (Nicole Schalmo), an astrobiologist, tracked by Homeland security, is called in to find answers for this unearthly event. She reluctantly gets involved in the effort to solve the ensuing crisis.
Meanwhile, a gigantic tree, an other-worldly object has grown at the site of the meteorite impact. It becomes apparent, once was speculated to be a meteorite is in fact an experimental seed sent to Earth in their search for a new home.
The seed has been sent from a dying world, a desperate world in order to grow their trees to create a habitable environment for themselves on Earth and then colonise it…
Reviews:
” …when Risen starts to shed light on what’s really going on, many in the audience are likely to be too bored or frustrated to care. A tighter focus and shorter running time might have eliminated some of these issues; unfortunately, the film feels bloated at nearly two hours long and the story is often sketchy […] Plus, moments that could be full of wonder are undercut by visual effects that don’t look quite right or can’t be seen clearly.” Film Racket
“Risen starts off with a good pace but two scenes in, it slows down like it’s stuck in quicksand. And it stays that way with long lulls between the action throughout the entire movie. Save for a handful of scenes, the entire film is “meh” at best. This movie has another problem. There really isn’t anything likable about its characters, for example, the lead character is dull and seems detached like she’s just going through the motions.” Horror Fuel
“Risen isn’t even competent on a technical level. I’ve seen better green screen work in student films. In several shots, it’s obvious the background is a static, unmoving painting […] I wish I could say Risen at least ends on a solid note but it doesn’t. It ends an overlong flashback that leads to an ending most of the audience will have already figured out.” Voices from the Balcony
Release date:
In the USA, Risen will be released On-Demand by Vertical Entertainment on August 20, 2021.
Cast and characters:
Nicole Schalmo … Lauren
Jack Campbell … Colonel Emmerich
Dominic Stone … Rob Windsor
Kenneth Trujillo … David Santiago
Caroline McQuade … Mandy Stone
Wassim Hawat … Vince US Marshal
Buffy Anne Littaua … Doctor Maria Paselo
Nicole Sharrock … Sergeant Nitro
Melissa Brattoni … Sergeant Thompson
Anthony Moisset … Sergeant Brooks
Marcus Johnson … David Howell
Melissa Davidson … Media Reporter
Natalie Rose … Narelle Jackson
Alex Gallant … Sergeant Clayton
Lily Brown Griffiths … Meryl Windsor (as Lily Brown)
Olga Olshansky … Elena
Mansoor Noor … Scott
Kyle Lovett … Sergeant Nolan
Vicki Gard … Doctor Perry
David MacPhail … Agent Hopson
Alan Flower … Ramsey
Kya Stewart … Rachel Stermon
Michela Carattini … Samantha Bransgrove
Terri Purchase … Doctor Thompson
Matias Klaver … Joseph
Caroline George … Ashley McKnight
Jack Kelly … Gavin Sibinski
Zahlee Moore … Valerie Windsor
Gavin Jones … Reporter Tom Mason
Ray Pearson … Dan Holland
Brandon Pitts … Sergeant Johnson
Jay Kallaway … Geoff Smith
Filming locations:
Alberta, Canada
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Notes:
Not to be confused with the 2016 faith-based drama of the same name about a Roman soldier searching for the resurrected Christ in the forty days following the crucifixion.
Trailer:
