Color Out of Space Review (1/30/2020)

It seems like directors are finally starting to figure out how to use Nicholas Cage again, and with last year's Mandy and now this we're seeing a resurgence of Cage in cult classic roles, maximizing his camp for vicious effect. Color Out of Space is a movie a lot of people probably haven't heard of, and it's one that even less people might even like, but for those within its target niche, its an utter delight.

Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy nearly every scene of this movie. It's strange, it's disturbing, it's legitimately scary and it's insane and creative on a whole new level of technical visual imagery. Based on the short story by HP Lovecraft, director Richard Stanley transports that revered writer's style to the present day, using the modern trappings geniously as every modern device - laptop, television, smart phone, etc. - is milked for all the horror its worth. Vibrant colors leap out from staticy screens, Nicholas Cage screams unintelligably from cell phones as they struggle to maintain a connection, and all throughout, something seems to be thoroughly going wrong with nearly every object in frame. There are many who will dismiss Color Out of Space as a cheap B-Movie - and it certainly is a B-movie, with little to really say and tons of camp - but there's a certain point at which that's dismissing the actual technical brilliance on display here. There are sights in this movie that I already know are going to be among the most memorable of the year - for me personally - and the camera does a fantastic job of milking every element of tension and suspense out of every frame.

The aforementioned camp is certainly here in droves - as evidence by the presence of the aforementioned Cage - but it's used to great effect. There are moments of legitimate humor, and then there are moments where, like The Evil Dead before it, the camp adds a biting nervous edge to the already horrific proceedings, where your laughter feels less like you're having fun and more like you're desperately clinging onto your sanity. Cage really is a great fit for this, as his normally meme-worthy freakouts are just as unsettling as their are hilarious here. This atmosphere of hysterical madness fits brilliantly with the cosmic horror storyline, and while I'm not super familiar with the work of Lovecraft myself, I know a lot of people who are that were extremely happy with how faithful this movie was to his tone.

Is Color Out of Space a perfect movie? Hell no. It's often terribly acted, the characters are often thin as a board, and while many of the visual effects - and all of the practical ones - are sublime, some of them are equally terrible. A lot of this doesn't really matter though, as it all just kinda fits into the campy B-Movie feel, which in turn adds to the horror elements. Color Out of Space isn't the kind of movie that's going for awards, and while I often feel like that argument is a cop out, I don't think it is here. It has a singular goal and it commits to that goal wholeheartedly; to scare the hell out of you in as entertaining and creative a way as possible. Does it succeed? It will depend on the person, but I'd argue it does.

Color Out of Space is, again, not for everyone. It's campy, B-movie elements will drive away some people, and its gross out practical effects will drive away others. For those like me who sit just squarely in the niche that Color Out of Space aims for, though, it's an absolute blast, and easily the best time I've had in a movie theater all month.