Brian Neil Hoff’s The Dragonfly Conspiracy has an incredibly unique and exciting concept, especially since it was made on a remarkably low budget, with no Hollywood visual effects or anything of the sort. The science-fiction, mystery, thriller is about an evil corporation that clones humans and unleashes them into the world to commit crimes in order to blackmail their proper human counterparts from escaping and exposing the truth.
The concept seems like something amazing you would see on an episode of The X-Files back in its prime, and that’s a great compliment. Right from the beginning of The Dragonfly Conspiracy, there is a sense that something eerie is happening in the world, and the execution is done fairly well. Something that I would have changed, however, is the narration. A robotic voice exposits information and clues us in onto the situation that our protagonists find themselves in. It would have been nice to have seen a little bit more visual storytelling in the film.
There is a scene in the first act filled with this type of dialogue, and it’s the biggest issue with the film. Gratefully, though, a lot of the acting feels very calm and reserved, and almost intimidating at times. Almost none of the principal cast have been a part of any big-budget productions, but they do a reasonably decent job in their roles.
“…an evil corporation…clones humans and unleashes them into the world to commit crimes…”
Out of the expansive cast, the actors that stand out the most have to be Hoff himself and Aric Cushing. For an independent feature, it is clear that they tried their best here, and it paid off for the most part. Their characters Blake Madison and Dr. McGinnis are trying to uncover the mystery of this evil corporation, and they are interesting to follow.
Madison and McGinnis will do everything in their power to try to uncover this mystery. They feel like they are constantly being watched over by something that is stronger than them. All they want is to live peaceful lives without having to look over their shoulder constantly. The journey they go on here is exciting, and the screenplay does make you feel for them.
But easily, the most exceptional element on display here is the story and the way it all unfolds. While it can be a bit muddled and occasionally hard to understand, once you get the grasp of it, it becomes exceptionally entertaining.
The Dragonfly Conspiracy suffers from some expository dialogue but succeeds mightily in its interesting and highly unique story. And even though it is a bit hard to follow at times, the actors capably perform their roles and keep you invested.
"…seems like something amazing you would see on an episode of The X-Files..."
