Dull ’65’ a big disappointment

“65” has a lot going for it. It’s built around a really cool premise. It stars Adam Driver, one of the most watchable actors in Hollywood right now. It’s written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the co-writers of “A Quiet Place.”

So, with so much going for it, why is this movie so dull?

“65” chronicles the adventures of Mills (Driver), a pilot who finds himself marooned on an alien world after his ship crashes. He soon learns that the only other survivor is a young girl, Koa (Arianna Greenblatt). Mills and Koa undertake a dangerous journey through a strange land and must survive the local wildlife (and worse) to get to the ship that could get them home.

It’s been a while since a movie underwhelmed me as much as “65” did. I went in expecting “Planet of the Apes” with dinosaurs but instead got a movie that was lacking in thrills in spite of the dangerous situation the protagonists were in.

Part of the problem is that it’s really short. That means we don’t have a lot of time to get to know Mills before he’s thrust into the action of the story. We get a few flashbacks to his daughter to explain his motivation for protecting Koa, but we don’t get a full picture of how his relationship with his daughter affects his choices. With a few more scenes, we’d not only understand Mills a little better but we’d have more of a reason to care about him.

With such flimsy character writing, the acting suffers. Driver is a really good actor but he feels a bit disinterested in what’s going on here. Maybe that’s because there’s not much for him to work with in the writing. Again, give him a few more scenes before the story really kicks in and maybe there’s more for him to use to define his character. Maybe there would be more for him to bite into, character-wise.

But that’s not the movie we got with “65” and the result is that it’s hard to get too emotionally involved with Mills so the drama of the situation evaporates. The attacks Mills and Koa endure feel predictable and anticlimactic. This makes “65” feel way longer than 91 minutes.

All that said, there are a few things “65” does right. Chris Bacon’s musical score is excellent and is often the only element providing an emotional kick in many scenes. The writers did a good job of setting up plot points and paying them off. The third act is actually pretty cool. Unfortunately, by the time the movie gets to its climax, it’s too late to salvage things.

“65” is a master class in wasted potential. It has a few good moments, but overall, it’s about as exciting as sitting around watching the snow melt for an hour and a half.

2 Indy Fedoras out of 5

MPAA Rating: PG-13