Color Out of Space
review by Bobby Blakey
Over the years Nicholas Cage has had his ups and downs, but there is no doubt he can offer up some memorable performances. I personally love him the most when he is allowed to just cut lose in films like Mom and Dad and Mandy. No matter what you may think of him there is no denying he takes on all kinds of roles and doesn’t show any sign of slowing down. His latest, Color Out Of Space teams him up with director Richard Stanley and costars Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, Brendan Meyer, Julian Hilliard, Elliot Knight with Q'Orianka Kilcher and Tommy Chong, but does it have that something otherworldly to help it stand out or will it fail to invade?
Color Out Of Space follows Nathan Gardner and his family find themselves battling a mutant extraterrestrial organism as it infects their minds and bodies, transforming their quiet rural life into a technicolor nightmare after a meteorite lands in the front yard of their farm. I didn’t really know what to expect going into this one other than hoping for some of the usual Cage craziness and boy did this film deliver. This film marks the return of director Richard Stanley who hasn’t directed anything since 2013 and what a return it is.
The film starts off a bit slow and kind all over the place in trying to figure out these people, but finds its footing pretty quickly. As it moves along things get stranger and stranger in a good way as we see whatever has crashed onto their property affect things around them. Everyone in the cast do a great job with Cage looking like he is having a great time and offering another great performance in a horror-esque film, which I think might be the genre he should delve deeper into. He bounces between being a loving husband and father to being unhinged like only he can all leading up to the trippy third act.
As things unfold and escalate the visuals become more and more vibrant with an acid trip like tone that will no doubt shock the senses in the best way possible. The pink/purple color palate bring something fresh to the imagery and injects your senses with an overload as the blood begins to flow. There were some unexpected mutation like visuals and insanity that is a ton of fun to watch making for a film that will no doubt please the horror fans while being something fresh and new.