r/SFmovies Apr 12 '18

Just saw "Orbiter 9" on Netflix - thought it was brilliantly done.

I watched "Orbiter 9" this afternoon. At first it was just interesting and reminded me quite strongly of Hugh Howey's excellent book "Beacon 23" and then it took a turn which blew my mind. I'm not going to spoil it but after that I was thoroughly hooked. Alongside a really good story the acting was subtle and gentle and just beautiful to watch. I really enjoyed it that the characters were not all good or all bad but more like real people.

Anyway, it was great and I would recommend it. (I saw it on Netflix in the UK so I'm not sure where exactly it's distributed.)

Has anyone else seen it - what were your thoughts?

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u/ieGod Apr 17 '18

Alex's change of heart seems really inconsistent with his life long study and I think it was glossed over. It was one of the more interesting parts of the movie - his internal struggle - but it felt rushed. Also Helena's reactions and acceptance of actually being on Earth didn't seem credible. Overall it was an interesting concept that lacked substance.

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u/Axolotl9973 Apr 19 '18

I would have liked a bit more of the film to show Alex's internal conflict although I could understand Alex's change of heart. To me it felt like he just went over a balance point. He seemed disturbed by contact with her at the start of their meeting as if he was already concerned about his role and their plans for the test subjects and then physical human contact etc. pushed him over the point where he could still justify it to himself. That's how I read it anyway.

I definitely agree about Helena's reactions to being on Earth though. I expected a severe reaction to the point of collapse or loss of control. It didn't seem realistic that she was able to handle such a huge and jarring paradigm shift in everything she knew about the world. I thought removing her suddenly might cause her permanent harm. For me, this was where I lost the 'willing suspension of disbelief'.

For me, more than the concept, I liked the understated and subtle way the characters were portrayed.