Europa Report is a 2013 sci-fi drama about an international crew of astronauts who undertake a privately funded mission to search for life on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon.
While heading to space and finding things not so good for mankind have practically been the only formula sci-fi movies in orbit have ever been about, Sebastián Cordero‘s Europa Report at least does it with a cool twist. Filmed like it’s an authentic journey, keeping as realistic to science as it seems possible and almost as if we’re watching a documentary, it shifts into a nightmare in the second half and earns some legit scares. Unconventional and loaded with some very good visual effects, it follows a diverse space crew who travel to a moon of Jupiter, only to suffer setbacks and lengthy losses of communication. The film is presented sort of like found footage but manages to stay a few levels ahead of that tired genre, with some solid twists and an entirely impressive take on keeping it feeling as real as if it were actually happening. This is tense and unnerving, well worth a look.
THE LAST WORD
Almost jarringly authentic looking, this is pure cane sugar for sci-fi fans but also is a great adventure and chiller that earns its wings through great visuals, acting, and commitment to its premise.
Tired of found footage movies? This isn’t going to make it better and as such, might not have the big emotional punch you’d expect if perhaps it were made with a more traditional approach.