Movie Reviews

‘Settlers’ Review – Light on Plot, Occasionally Tense, Visually Beautiful

By Michael Cook
July 23, 2021
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Synopsis:

Settlers on the Martian frontier do what they must to survive the cosmic elements and each other in this science-fiction thrill ride.

Mars. The red planet. Nothing but rocks and dust as far as the eye can see. Except for a few rovers, I suppose. A thin atmosphere growing thinner by the day. Our next-door neighbor. And totally inhospitable to humans. Yet, we continually strive to get mankind onto the Martian surface. Martian colonization stories have long been a staple of science fiction. A small group of people arrives on Mars, usually to jumpstart some kind of colony. They have limited supplies, limited time, and limited patience. So, they must find a way to survive the harsh climate of Mars without killing each other.

Settlers slots in very neatly amidst other Martian colonization films. While its visuals are truly breathtaking, especially considering the film’s budget, it fails to bring anything new to the genre. Settlers prioritizes its visuals and atmosphere over its characters and plot, resulting in a slow-paced film that’s never as tense or interesting as you’d like it to be. The actors carry as much of the film as the visuals do, but it’s not enough to make Settlers particularly memorable.

Plot

Settlers does what it says on the tin. Reza (Jonny Lee Miller), Ilsa (Sophia Boutella), and Remmy (Brooklynn Prince as a child, Nell Tiger Free as an adult) have been living in an isolated Martian settlement since before Remmy was born. The family has done their best to survive as well as they can, given the circumstances. But when a stranger, Jerry (Ismael Cruz Córdova) arrives at the settlement, their way of life is dangerously and irreparably altered. It’s a plot that’s been done many times before. And while Settlers doesn’t do much to separate itself from the pack of other films, it does execute these tropes reasonably well. The plot’s a bit episodic, with the film being separated into chapters. But it mostly works as a slow-paced, introspective sci-fi film. Though, the third act takes things to some pretty dark places that may prove quite triggering to some. It even caught me off guard, and I was expecting it to happen.

Slow Pacing, Uneven Tension, and Unanswered Questions

Settlers isn’t a movie you should watch if you’re expecting a lot of excitement or worldbuilding. There are moments of exciting, hair-raising tension scattered throughout the film. The first twenty minutes are a masterclass in setting up a threat and paying it off. And the climax crescendoes in a wave of fierce tension that feels quite cathartic after everything else that happens. But all the moments in between are quite slow-paced. Which would be fine if that time was being used to develop the characters or build out the world. But that’s not what happens.

Settlers raises a lot of questions about what happened before the film – the earth is uninhabitable, there was some kind of war, etc. And even more questions are raised about what might or might not lie in wait outside of the settlement. But the film never comes close to answering any of these questions. And sure, an argument could be made that this story isn’t about any of those questions, so why should they be answered? But then why spend all that time setting them up when the characters could’ve stood having that time spent developing them instead? It’s hard to be invested in a story when you don’t know what it’s about. Settlers seems to be about how these characters react to any given moment. But without compelling character arcs, it’s hard to care much.

Ismael Cruz Córdova as “Jerry” in Wyatt Rockefeller’s SETTLERS. Courtesy of Graham Bartholomew/IFC Midnight.

Characters

Every character in Settlers is sketched pretty thinly. And honestly, that wouldn’t be a problem if they were given clear character arcs and motivations. But the biggest problem with the film is that it’s unclear why anyone is doing what they’re doing at any given moment. Why are Reza and Ilsa so reluctant to tell Remmy what’s beyond the settlement? Why is Jerry carrying on with this whole charade of caring about any of them? Some of these “whys” get answered as the film progresses, particularly those involving Jerry’s motivations. But it’s too little too late. With the film holding all of its cards so close to its chest, it’s hard to get invested in these characters. You have to understand why someone is doing what they’re doing before you’re able to root for them or against them. And I feel like Settlers failed to do that.

All of that being said, the cast are incredible. There isn’t a weak link among the cast, regardless of how much screen time they’ve got. Miller is immediately captivating as Reza. He’s so full of warmth and love at first that it’s kind of shocking when that warmth disappears as the danger grows. The same rings true for Boutella. The love she imbues into Ilsa’s relationship with Remmy is beyond moving, making her shift into darkness more effective. Córdova is quite threatening as Jerry – perhaps too threatening at times. But it’s nice when that facade drops and you see the kind of man Jerry could be. Or maybe that’s just part of the con. It’s hard to know, and that’s the brilliance of Córdova’s performance. However, Brooklynn Prince and Nell Tiger Free steal the show. So much of the film rests on Remmy’s shoulders, and both actresses are absolutely brilliant.

Isolation

Settler‘s biggest theme is probably how traumatic extended isolation can be on a person. And it’s the best-executed aspect of the film, by far. Both Remmy and Jerry have been severely affected by their respective isolation. We see these effects slowly develop in Remmy as she grows restless, befriends animals and robots, and slowly withdraws into herself as things get bad. And as for Jerry, it’s pretty clear that the trauma of his isolation is what’s led him to take these drastic actions. Honestly, I wish the film had leaned even harder into the isolation of its characters. No hints at potential cities or beings outside of the settlement. Just endless nothingness. I feel like that would’ve worked very well because the film was at its most interesting when delving into the isolation of these characters.

Brooklynn Prince as “Remmy” in Wyatt Rockefeller’s SETTLERS. Courtesy of IFC Midnight.

Visuals

It’s worth mentioning how gorgeous Settlers is. I have no idea exactly how big the budget was, but I can’t imagine Rockefeller and the rest of the creative team had a whole lot of money to work with. However, they managed to pull off a believable portrait of a Martian desert. Even though there are places on Earth that look similar to Mars, the film utilizes enough futuristic/spacey costumes, sets, and props to pull off the illusion. And it works very well. Of special note is Steve, Jerry’s robot. I’m unsure if Steve is a practical effect, CGI, or a mixture of the two. But he looks great. And the emotion he’s able to share with Remmy works beautifully. Honestly, Settlers is worth watching for the visuals alone.

Final Thoughts

While Settlers may not revolutionize the Martian colonization genre with its plot, it manages to be a solid addition to the genre anyway. The visuals are gorgeous and carry much of the film. As do the performances from its actors. I can see this movie being incredibly divisive. Those who like slow-paced, introspective films are probably going to be quite drawn to this. But those who prefer narratives with clearer motivations, character arcs, and plotlines might find Settlers frustratingly lacking. Plus, the third act goes to some pretty dark places and could be a bit triggering to some. For me, I fell somewhere in the middle. When the film worked, it worked very well. But the rest of the time, I felt kind of let down. Ultimately, if you find yourself drawn to this particular blend of science fiction, Settlers is worth a watch to see if you like it.