“Radius” — Karma’s Watching…
A modest film about celestial retribution.
For much of its running time “Radius” feels like and seems to be a low key science fiction mystery, however near the end it reveals itself to be less science fiction as it is supernatural fantasy.
That twist will make the movie for some, and break it for others.
Filmed in Manitoba and premiering at Montreal’s Fantasia International Festival, “Radius” is thoroughly noncultural. It could have been filmed in almost any English speaking country in which there are large forests and small towns.
It’s the story of a man who wakes from a rural auto accident with no memory of the accident, or anything that came before it. He wanders, looking for help, looking for signs of who he is, and quickly finds people around him dropping dead instantaneously, like flies in a cloud of Raid. In fact, in the early stages both he and eventually the authorities who follow behind, finding the bodies with no signs of violence, suspect germ warfare or poison gas.
Not so. Through terrible trial and error, he comes to understand the problem isn’t poison gas or germs, it’s him. Any living organism that wanders within fifty or sixty feet of him dies, instantly; no sign, no illness, no death throes, no floundering about or suffering, just instant, glazed eyed death.
Once he understands this, once he realizes he’s poison, to save lives, he carefully measures the deadly distance and squirrels himself away in a spot he imagines will prevent more deaths.
To no avail.
Not long into his impromptu exile he’s approached by a woman who has his wallet, who appears to have been in the same accident, and who also woke with no memories of it or herself, or her previous life.
Remarkable in itself to us, but even more remarkable to him because she can approach him without ill effects. Not just that, as long as they’re together neither does anyone else die. Her presence seems to switch off his internal death ray.
They don’t understand the condition or their connection, but believe it must all have something to do with their accident.
The last half of the film tells the story of what they do about their deadly condition and how they go about finding out what is their connection and what’s happened to them. Only at the very end do the film makers let us in on the secret, the twist.
This isn’t “Independence Day” or “The Walking Dead”, but its modest budget is enough to get the job done. The performers carry a comic book concept to feature length, while the direction and editing are professional.
This isn’t a blockbuster, but it is a competent little film, about cosmic karma.
And that’s where you’ll have to decide whether you’re interested or not. Must they be martians, or can you invest 87 minutes and be happy with another explanation?
“Radius” is streaming on Netflix and available on several VOD platforms.
