A few weeks ago, I attended Fright Night Film Fest. While there, I was asked to review one of the movies shown at the festival. Written and directed by Jesse Knight, The Orbs is a science fiction thriller based on a former astronaut, Wilbur, and his wife, Loraine. Played by Patrick G. Keenan, Wilbur is a depressed man struggling with life after secret space missions to the moon. He tries to cope by broadcasting his experiences on the internet. Loraine, played by Christy Johnson, is his annoying, drunken, sick wife who keeps him busy by consistently asking him to do menial tasks like getting her medicine. The subject of the movie, the orbs, pass by Wilbur and Lorraine unnoticed most of the time, like a flicker in the corner of your eye. Throughout the movie, flashbacks show a young Wilbur, played by David Joy, and his lieutenant on the space missions, played by Warren Ray, traveling to the moon. They, too, see the orbs while traveling. It becomes apparent that there is a conspiracy afoot when it is revealed that Wilbur and Loraine’s house is a safe house where every need is provided by the government due to a traumatic event that occurred to Wilbur in space, which he can no longer remember. The film ends with an interesting twist that will leave the audience guessing.
The basis of the film was interesting and thought provoking. In fact, it reminded me of The X-Files and could’ve easily made a really good episode for the beloved show. However, I sometimes felt as though the dialogue didn’t fit the situation. For instance, the overuse of the word “daft” didn’t seem right as “daft” is an Old English term (usually used in British television and movies) and the characters were very American. The dialogue even hindered the characters from seeming sincere in some scenes. For example, in a scene where Loraine is supposed to be professing her love for Wilbur, I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not because of the use of what I call “thesaurus words.”
The actors were great. Even though I wouldn’t have pegged Christy Johnson and Patrick G. Keenan for a couple, they somehow made it work and made their relationship believable. The two actors who shined for me were David Joy and Warren Ray. Their portrayal of astronauts on a dangerous mission together was executed beautifully. For an independent film, the special effects were very good. The orbs were believable as were the scenes in space. The musical score by Cutshawkane was excellent. As a musical person, I pay special attention to the musical scores in television shows and movies. In my opinion, a good musical score usually goes unnoticed until key points in the storyline, and that’s exactly what Cutshawkane accomplished.
I would definitely recommend The Orbs if you enjoy independent films and science fiction thrillers. Click here to learn more about the film. If you enjoy independent horror films, make sure to visit Fright Night Film Fest next year, and click here to read my review of this year’s festival.
Photo from JK Films official website.
