Deus: The Dark Sphere - Movie Review

Deus: The Dark Sphere is a British science fiction movie written and directed by Steve Stone. It stars Claudia Black, David O’Hara and Lisa Eichhorn.

Premise

The crew onboard the spacecraft Aquiles is sent to investigate a mysterious sphere that has appeared near Mars. As they approach it, the sphere starts to transmit the same word repeatedly: Deus (God in Latin).

Do you remember the movie starring Sam Neil, Event Horizon (1997)? Well, Deus is the same deal just with a lower budget.

If you aren’t a sci-fi fan like I am, or you have not seen Event Horizon, you might enjoy Deus: The Dark Sphere.

Review

It is a fine horror/sci-fi movie that, however, cannot escape the obvious similarities to Event Horizon, and even Solaris.

Now, we are not dealing with a facsimile. It does take a sip from the premise from the 1997 movie, but it is not a downright copy. It manages to narrate a different story, within the framework of a horror/sci-fi piece, it is somewhat entertaining thanks to the good direction rather than the quality of the screenplay, making it an acceptable film despite not reaching a place on the shelf as a reference in the genre.

It offers us the entertainment that was within our limited expectations, but it does disappoint as it develops, and it becomes evident that it could not give more of itself.

However good the start might be, it goes to waste when the story takes a slight turn almost becoming a thriller, and puts aside the 2001: A Space Odyssey angle taking us to a business-as-usual film, without risking as Kubrick did, nor challenging the audience.

The photography is not bad, and manages to transport us to a place with a spacey ambiance. As for the score it also assists in creating that stark atmosphere.

However, a movie with such a massive approach as is the Greatest Discovery Ever Made by Mankind falls flat with its grand pretensions, and meager means, coming across as a B movie.