Review: Color Out Of Space – “Relentless and incredibly imaginative”

Color Out Of Space is a fascinating film. It’s almost certainly not as good as ‘Mandy’ (reviewed HERE), but will play out brilliantly as a double-bill. And, unbelievably, it’s arguably the ballsier film.

We’re in the throes of living within an H.P Lovecraft Extended Cinematic Universe and we don’t even know it. It’s an exciting time.

Following hot on the heels of ‘Underwater’ (reviewed HERE), we’re back on solid-Cage territory and that’s a happy place for me.

You never know what to expect from him and here you get both polar opposites. It’s a fascinating performance that’s every bit as jarring and uncomfortable as the film demands. I’d seen the trailer and thought we’d get a re-spin of ‘The Thing’ (you know, before we get another re-spin of ‘The Thing’). It couldn’t be further from that and somehow, I mean that as a compliment.

The film builds steadily until all hell breaks loose. You’re looking at all of the best/worst bits of ‘Evil Dead’, ‘Society’, and Joely Richardson {excellent!} making her own sequel to ‘Event Horizon’. It’s bonkers and in its finale absolutely breakneck, relentless and incredibly imaginative. I’m not sure we’ll see a more visually interesting and arresting film in 2020.

‘Mandy’ was bold AF and absolutely due a re-watch, but you can see how it came together. ‘Colour Out Of Space’? I can’t fathom how it came to be. No way.

Throw in the fact that Richard Stanley is back directing, (after a suggested breakdown making ‘The Island Of Dr. Moreau’), for the first time in 20 years and it’s a modern marvel. It shouldn’t exist and yet… here it is.

Cage suggests in the making-of, that during ‘Mandy’ they concocted a contract for this and got him to sign there & then. It wasn’t legally binding, but he signed it there & then, as this was a “Family Drama”. His favourite genre.

Let’s hope Stanley threw another contract to him for his next film lined up… a remake of the remake of ‘The Island Of Doctor Moreau’.

Almost as guerilla as Nic Cage playing Nic Cage. Please god, don’t let the end of times happen before he gets some of these out of his system.

Kyroptoniiiite. Again.

Color Out Of Space hits UK cinemas on 28th February 2020.