Review: The Bystanders – “An enjoyable movie with a unique and interesting concept”

Although it was the closing film for the Sci-Fi London Film Festival, The Bystanders feels more like a buddy movie than a sci-fi. This is not a bad thing, however, as it makes the movie relatable and enjoyable even for those who do not love sci-fi. While adhering to some of the basic conventions of the genre, what stands out the most in the movie is the relationship between the two main characters, one that makes both of them change for the better because of the other one. As such, The Bystanders establishes itself as a feel-good comedy with a sci-fi feel to it.

As the title suggests, The Bystanders is set in the world of the Bystanders who are invisible immortal beings entrusted with watching over the mortal subject assigned to them. Although they are supposed to act like guardian angels, they are shown to often interfere with their subjects’ lives throughout the movie as they end up changing their lives for the better or, sometimes, even for the worst. As the film beings, we follow Peter (Scott Haran) as he is recruited from the human world to become a Bystander and is trained by Frank (Seann Walsh), a not-so-lawful Bystander who shows him the ins and outs of the job.

As the movie goes on, it becomes obvious that while the Bystanders are watching their subjects, we are the ones watching the Bystanders. This creates an interesting dynamic as the audience gets an insight into something that nobody is actually meant to be seeing: the Bystanders are invisible and one of their most important rules is to avoid their presence being seen at all. As such, we get to witness the life of the Bystanders, something that, due to the premise of the film, should not happen. In doing this, The Bystanders shines a light on the loneliness these characters endure every day. This makes the film highly relatable as it is something that a lot of us in the audience can see themselves in.

The Bystanders is a mixture of different genres, constantly moving between sci-fi and comedy throughout the film, thus creating a unique feel to it. This is not only true for the narrative of the movie, but also for its visuals. Aesthetically, The Bystanders spans different styles as it features cartoon-like as well as black-and-white sequences, both of which fit narratively well in the plot of the film. While this is a bold and original choice, the most fascinating aspect of the movie is its plot. Apart from the likes of Wings of Desire, there are few films that show a visual representation of a supernatural being watching over us but it is still a very relevant idea.

However, I did feel like The Bystanders relied too heavily on its comedic aspect. While comedy is one of the most successful aspects of this film, it risks upstaging everything else. Throughout the movie, there were various instances where the film could have reflected on deeper questions, such as those of loneliness and the political aspect outlined towards the end of the movie, but The Bystanders falls short to do so. Most of the time, the film would turn back to comedic too quickly whenever there is a dramatic scene, thus undermining its emotional potential for the audience.

I also wish the characters of the Bystanders would be more highlighted. While the film does a great job at quickly sketching out this other world inhabited by the titular bystanders, most characters except Peter are not showcased as much. Since all the Bystanders were once human, it would have been interesting to see their nuances, something that is only alluded to in the film. In particular, I would have liked to see more of Frank who, despite featuring heavily in the film, is not as investigated in the film as his counterpart Peter. Exploring Frank’s emotional side would have also allowed The Bystanders to touch deeper on the topic of loneliness.

While I enjoyed how The Bystanders portrays a two-sided world, I wish it could have delved deeper into some of the emotional topics the film touches on. Overall, The Bystanders is a really enjoyable movie with a unique and interesting concept. However, it is a film that could have benefitted from a larger budget in order to match its production value with its high-level acting and well-structured plot.

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