Laws of the Universe: justice working out in mysterious ways
Chris Mangano, “Laws of the Universe” (2019) As is usually the case with sci-fi film shorts uploaded to Youtube by DUST, this film makes up for…
Science Fiction Films
Men in Black II: some good ideas go to waste in a cheap sequel
Barry Sonnenfeld, “Men in Black II” (2002) Five years after the events of the original “Men in Black”, at the end of which Agent K (Tommy…
Men in Black: a sci-fi comedy sending up intel agencies and immigration issues
Barry Sonnenfeld, “Men in Black” (1997) Very loosely based on the original comic series of the same name, in which a secret organisation called The Men…
Contagion: a pessimistic and unforgiving study of human society in crisis
Steven Soderbergh, “Contagion” (2011) Unexpectedly discovering a new lease of life and relevance in the current COVID-19 near-global shutdown environment, this film purports to be a…
A tale of alienation, dehumanisation and exploitation in “Upload:U”
Samuel E Mac, “Upload:U” (2017) A creepy little short made in very sparing minimalist style, “Upload:U” may be viewed as a metaphor expressing the alienation and…
The Time Agent: a time travel story of loneliness and alienation
Jude Chun, “The Time Agent” (2016) In its own unassuming way, “The Time Agent” is a deconstruction of a once common style of narrative in genres…
Chinese and Chinese-language Films, Southeast Asian Films
The Masseuse: how to be human and to have free will in an oppressive society and culture
Tan Ce Ding, “The Masseuse” (2018) An intriguing film set in a not-too distant dystopian future in Kuala Lumpur, “The Masseuse” poses questions about the nature…
What if Wendy: a sparse and painful character study of denial and grief
James A Sims, “What if Wendy” (2017) Here is a sparse and minimalist character study of a woman in denial about her grief at the death…
Iteration 1: a dystopian human future equivalent to a maze teaching flatworms to learn from experience
Jesse Lupini, “Iteration 1” (2016) Made for a Canadian film festival in which the objective was to shoot a film and complete its post-production in the…
French and French-language Films
On / Off: a film on identity, memory and the consequences of inattention
Thierry Lorenzi, “On / Off” (2013) This short space-exploration thriller film had been doing the film festival circuit for a number of years before DUST channel…