‘May you reach the dawn’
Cosmic Dawn is a 2021 sci-fi thriller about a young woman who joins a UFO cult to deal with her mother’s apparent abduction by aliens.
Written and Directed by Jefferson Moneo (Big Muddy). Produced by Mark Raso, Joseph Raso, Brian Robertson, Jefferson Moneo. Executive produced by Patrick Hackett, Mauro Mueller, Luisa Law, Daniel Futa, David Hand, and Catherine Cartwright-Hand.
The Canadian production stars Camille Rowe, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Antonia Zegers, Joshua Burge and Phil Granger.
The soundtrack score was composed by Alan Howarth (Hoax aka Bigfoot; Zombie Night; Evilution; They Live; Prince of Darkness; Halloween franchise).
Plot:
After witnessing an alien abduction as a child (and subsequently being told she’s crazy for most of her life) Aurora, now a young woman, joins the UFO cult The Cosmic Dawn after discovering a book written by the group’s leader, Elyse. Aurora’s time at the cult’s remote island compound is marked by miraculous revelations, consciousness-expanding flowers, and a burgeoning friendship with Tom, the resident cook.
When a fellow cult member starts to display increasingly bizarre behaviour, Aurora begins to questionElyse’s sanity (and her own) and starts looking for a way out. Years later, after the dissolution of the cult, Aurora has moved on with her life. She leads a quiet and seemingly normal life.
However, when Elyse resurfaces in a mysterious video, Aurora is forced to confront her past. Together with Tom, she pursues the ultimate truth about The Cosmic Dawn. Does Elyse really have access to another dimension? Or do her prophesies truly point to mass suicide amongst the surviving cult members?
Reviews:
” …eerie enough to hold your attention for 93 minutes, even though there isn’t a whole lot of intense action to dazzle your eyes and ears. Rather, your mind will have to make do with a mildly moody little spooker that fills it to the rim with vaguely hallucinogenic vibes, colorfully strobing lights, and a deeply dreamy texture that’s as entrenched in an indie aesthetic as any movie can possibly get.” 60/100 Culture Crypt
” …the concept of Cosmic Dawn is more interesting than some aspects of the execution, but it’s Rowe’s performance, her almost wide-eyed and eager yet reasonably skeptic Aurora, that makes the journey worthwhile. Zegers plays enigmatic well and both Chriqui and Burge play their parts with the right amount of unpredictability, yet without Rowe leading the way […] much of Cosmic Dawn would ring more hollow, more disposable.” Elements of Madness
“The only little detail I appreciated about it was the special alien language that the UFO cult members were using from time to time to communicate with each other. Cosmic Dawn serves cheap thrills at the cost of a splendid opportunity to show the world a distinct insight into the aliens. Sadly, all its potentials are misdirected into generating cosmic hallucinations on the screen.” High on Films
” …everything starts blending together at a certain point and winds up with what I consider to be a very satisfying ending. Viewer mileage may vary on that, but Moneo’s path to the climax is an absorbing one, thanks in great part to his well-balanced play as to whether Elyse is a fake or for real, and Rowe’s fine performance as the traumatized and confused Aurora.” Horror Fuel
” …the film’s music by MGMT, and score from composer Alan Howarth, are excellent. The cinematography is also rather impressive, crafting a movie that is very pretty to look at. Renovations of an old tunnel system lead Aurora on a journey as she sinks deeper into the grasp of the cult. If only the actual narrative matched the strength of its actors, 80s retro, impactful visuals, and abduction-fueled conspiracy theories.” Josh at the Movies
” …any hope of aliens showing up disappears into jejune, repetitive camera trickery designed to express Aurora’s fractured mindset. There are some colourful sequences, and if you were to watch Cosmic Dawn in a state of artificial relaxation (or if you are from the ’90s) then there is an increased possibility you might get more out of it, but for the rest of us it may turn out to be a bit of a cosmic drag.” The Movie Waffler
“This movie is rich with vibrant colors and otherworldly displays of cinematography that leaves you wondering what is and isn’t real, or what did or did not happen to Aurora. But this film wouldn’t work without great performances. Camille Rowe leads this film with ease, never losing her skepticism in character, which only adds to the mystery this film plays off of.” Nightmarish Conjurings
Release:
Cosmic Dawn premiered at the Nightstreams Festival in October 2021.
In the USA, Cosmic Dawn will be released theatrically and On-Demand by Cranked Up Films on February 11, 2022.
Cast and characters:
Camille Rowe … Aurora
Emmanuelle Chriqui … Natalie
Antonia Zegers … Elyse
Joshua Burge … Tom
Philip Granger … Dieter
Amy Matysio … Iris
Vickie Papavs … Caroline
John Boylan … Frank
Miho Suzuki … Mizuki
William Sanders … Professor
Rachel Pellinen … Young Aurora
Production companies:
Prowler Pictures
Fidelio
Neon Sheep Pictures
Scorched Films
Technical details:
93 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2:1
Trailer:
