Directed by Doug Liman and based on the book series of the same name, Chaos Walking takes place in the not-too-distant future, where a young man named Todd Hewitt (Tom Holland) lives on an alien planet that was colonized by humanity, and he soon discovers Viola (Daisy Ridley), a mysterious girl who crash lands on the planet. Viola learns that, after a supposed war with the original inhabitants of this alien world, all the women on the planet have disappeared and all the men are afflicted by “the Noise” – a force that puts all their thoughts on display. In this dangerous landscape, Viola’s life is threatened and Todd vows to protect her, and he will have to discover his own inner power and learn the planet’s dark secrets.
So this is a new sci-if film that had been in development for a long time and was initially supposed to release in 2019. However, due to apparently poor test screenings, the film underwent extensive reshoots so they ended up pushing the release date of the film forward to accommodate this, as well as allowing Ridley and Holland to finish their major filming commitments (Star Wars TROS & Spider-Man FFH). But now it has finally been released. I never read the books, but I am aware the series has a huge following and that the fans have been eagerly anticipating this adaptation. I had concerns over its production history but I was still interested in seeing it due to the director, the cast, and the premise.
Thankfully after watching it all my concerns disappeared because I loved this film. I really enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. It is n exhilarating sci-fi thriller that has two great leads with excellent chemistry, and an awesome story that is fun, emotional, shocking, and unique. While things do start off a little bit hectic and fast, it eventually eases out, becoming a more solid and streamlined story that delivers slowed down scenes.
Tom Holland was fantastic as Todd Hewitt who constantly struggles to control his thoughts as he goes through a coming of age journey. The way he was able to deliver emotional scenes as well as deliver great amounts of anxiety when it came to his Noise was something I found myself really invested in. Seeing him being afflicted with something that can be a curse and sometimes a gift was something I think a lot of people could connect to and understand, especially with those that struggle with thinking so much.
Daisy Ridley was also fantastic as Viola, giving us a character who is experiencing the craziness of this world just like the audience but is able to pull through as her own person and not be a damsel in distress. And her ability to emote so perfectly without speaking in some scenes is honestly perfect, showing just how talented Daisy is.
The two had perfect chemistry together and I seriously love the way their relationship was developed. It felt natural and not forced or rushed in any way. Plus they managed to avoid a lot of typical tropes and even make fun of them. I think this is mostly due to the mentioned reshoots, which apparently did focus on improving the relationship between Todd and Viola immensely. For what it’s worth, I think it definitely improved a lot because it was able to deliver some really great moments with these two.
The rest of the cast is also great, each delivering great performances of their own, though Tom and Daisy are definitely the main standouts. Mads Mikkelsen was excellent in the role of David Prentiss, who you could tell was a man of many secrets and has such persuasive control over others. Yes he’s playing as another bad guy role, but Mads fully commits to delivering a good performance and does come off as great menace to our leads with what he’s able to do. And he has a spectacular outfit too as a bonus.
Nick Jonas also did a good job though his character didn’t have that much of a huge impact in the film. Demian Bichir was also in this film, playing a great supporting role, and he continues to show that he needs to be in a lot more films. He’s such an underrated actor and he continues to prove so every time.
The narrative itself offers a fun, thrilling and anxiety inducing sci-fi adventure, and even though starts a bit rough, it ends up flowing smoother from one thing to the next and never drags. It always keeps you on the edge of your seat and you do get emotionally invested in the story. There are moments that you will cheer, laugh and maybe even feel sad for. The fact the film was able to make me do all of those is what made me love it so much.
It’s also shocking because of one dark twist. Like I said, I never read the book so I didn’t see this twist coming, or at least happen the way I thought it would.
The film does dive into some interesting themes, from the horrors of humanity and colonialism to the dominance and psychology of man. They are interwoven throughout the story and it’s all done in a way that doesn’t bash you over the head with the themes and doesn’t treat you like an idiot, which I really appreciated.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the film is everything to do with “The Noise”. The idea of thoughts, dreams, fears and even imagination being exposed to anyone nearby is done in a uniquely visual way and has an important role with the narrative and exploring characters. In some cases seeing and hearing people’s thoughts leads to funny and embarrassing moments with some characters (mainly Todd), which is something you would definitely expect, and the filmmakers take advantage of that.
However, the film also shows just how dangerous it can be for several reasons. One is that secrets are impossible to keep around anyone and so therefore trust is extremely hard to have. Your thoughts can easily betray you and there’s no way to control it in this world and that’s honestly a terrifying thing to imagine.
We also learn that in some cases thoughts can be weaponized since we can see them visually. In one scene Todd thinks the simple thought of a snake and a snake literally appears and lashes out at a person. In another someone is able to create a false barrier or even use decoys. It’s an awesome visual to see on screen and it’s such a cool idea that makes this film stand out hugely from other sci-fi films. The fact thoughts can kill literally is also terrifying to imagine.
The visuals and effects are really really good in this film, along with great cinematography and heart pounding action. It not only makes for a film that looks great but also one that feels like a unique world. It was interesting how at times it felt like a mix of western and sci-fi similar to Star Wars, but much more gritty and rustic. Prentisstown and other places we see really give off that vibe, along with some of the clothes people wear, the weapons they use, and the fact horses are the primary transport.
There is CGI present, especially with The Noise, but it all looked great and offered awesome visuals that could be crazy but made sense, due to the complexity of the human mind. The action was all intense and exciting, making you feel as if your adrenaline was spiking watching these characters in precarious situations. The cinematography was gorgeous, offering us good looks at the landscape of this alien world and even establishing an eerie nature to it, as if this planet has its own secrets.
Speaking of secrets, there are some interesting mysteries that the film leaves open ended, potentially left for a sequel to address. There are many more things I wish to know about this world including the alien race that we see and hear about in this film, but briefly. I’m so eager to see more of what else this story could have. The music was also really great, adding so much to the tension and also adding to the neo-western vibe of the film I mentioned earlier.
Overall, I had an awesome time with Chaos Walking, and it’s definitely a film I would love to see get a sequel because of how much it offered. It has some weak aspects here and there, but nothing that I would consider movie-ruining as some have claimed.
Now to be clear again, I haven’t read the Chaos Walking books but if you have read them and are expecting some pitch perfect adaptation of the book I don’t have the answer for that. But as some who went in blind I can tell you that I really enjoyed this film and that everyone should give it a go and not rely on Rotten Tomatoes scores to formulate their opinions. I’m going to give Chaos Walking an A-.
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