It is summertime at the movies and that means it is time for an endless parade of big budget spectacles with an average IQ inversely related to their swollen budgets. Hollywood’s idea of science-fiction is lots of running, explosions, and the barest framework to hang a plot upon. The movies of summer generally do not fare well upon close inspection, pull on a story thread and the entire plot is subject to unraveling.

This is not the case with the low budget independent film Europa Report. The cast doesn’t have anyone who was paid fifty million dollars to be in the production, the special effects are special in the manner that they don’t look extraordinary. Rather they do what special effects are supposed to do, make a fantastic setting feel real. If you saw the previews you might have the impression that Europa Report is some sort of alien horror film. That is not the case. Continue reading →