Infinitum: Subject Unknown

The film has some obvious and cleverly employed influences. The time-looping and incremental progress after each awakening in this strange world recall Groundhog Day and The Edge of Tomorrow. This also will remind digital gamers of the typical “respawn-to-save” structure of most adventure games. The setup goes all the way back to the early Zork text adventures where one wakes up in a dark room, lying on what seems to be a bed, and must work out puzzles to advance in the game.

The husband and wife team of Butler-Hart wrote the script during their 2020 pandemic lockdown in London and shot it on an iPhone. With Matthew directing and Tori starring as Jane, it captures their weird mix of claustrophobia and isolation perfectly, with Jane walking city streets that are eerily empty of human life. It helps sell the stakes of the story immeasurably.

“…captures their weird mix of claustrophobia and isolation perfectly…”

Despite the budget, the set location constraints because of Covid, and the limited cinematography possible via iPhone, the production quality is startlingly good. The images captured on the iPhone are beautifully rendered, and the post-production effects are equally as good. DPs using $80K digital cinema cameras, take note. The soundtrack is also top quality, with mood-setting tones and musical riffs to put the viewers on edge as Jane succumbs to her terror repeatedly, waking up again and again tied in the same room.

Of course, none of this would matter without Tori Butler-Hart’s compelling performance as, more or less, the sole live person in the film, moving through different times and universes. Unfortunately, the plot revolves more around her feelings of panic and isolation than it does any real explanation of the science or purposes of dimensional travel. This leaves many questions unanswered, including details about the war and the apparent occupation of London in the alternate world. However, Infinitum: Subject Unknown works as a scary, anxious thrill ride.