Sci-Fi Film Challenge - The Road to my Top 10

Source Code, directed by the ever talented Duncan Jones, is a sci-fi thriller. It’s about a guy who must travel back in time to uncover the identity of a domestic terrorist. With a great story layered with depth and some show stopping visuals, this film is a must watch for any science fiction fan.

Time travel usually goes one of two ways, either someone changes the past only for things to end up a way they immediately or ultimately don’t want  (excluding comedy) or they can’t alter anything because whatever happened, happened. Source Code goes the second path which adds a layer of tragedy to this film. No matter what Colter (Jake Gyllenhaal) does, he can’t save anyone (and that helplessness comes into play toward the end of the film). Meanwhile, he must come to with his own condition outside of source code. It’s a layered film (with an ultra cool, fairly easy to understand concept) and nobody better to lead it than Gyllenhaal, one of the best actors working today.

Moon is in my Top 5 films of all-time, it’d be hard for Jones to top that but the visuals are more memorable here. I love the freeze frame moment, it’s done with a lot of scope going floor to floor, really feels real and it’s done with so much drama that it made me cry (I needed what came after). Quasi spoiler alert: “Sean” in a kiss with Christina (the beautiful and always warm Michelle Monaghan), all the people in the car laughing at the comedian, with the pending bomb going off, it feels so bittersweet. It’s a beautiful moment and my hands down favorite. I do also love the slow motion fire coming for Sean and Christina. In general this film just looks great.

This has a minor subplot about exploitation which is interesting to me because it’s at the forefront of Moon. Seems it’s a topic that interests Jones (as it does me). 

Nice to see Norma… I mean Vera Farmiga. 

My biggest takeaway is that I need to give Mute another chance. Jones has made two sci-fi films that I love… lightning doesn’t strike twice.

2024 Rewatches Ranked (18 out of 62 to date)