Marooned, trapped and helpless in that vast black space between unknown galaxies, three men exist in limbo, never knowing when their time will be up, or what their fate will be. We are told that they are criminals.
Director Mihai Wilson’s short sci-fi thriller, Ovo, pieces together the tale of these men, assumed remnants of a once larger crew, with only the captain and two younger soldiers left alive. Via introductory subtitled-voiceover, the story is outlined by one of the younger soldiers, imploring forgiveness from his parents far away. We are also informed that his fellow crewmates are comprised of a man his own generation, who fears death, and the elder captain who has a “rotten eye,” that is sure to attract ill fate. And so it does, or does not, depending upon how you interpret the movie.
Co-written by Wilson, Marcella Moser and Davide di Saro, the narrative moorings of Ovo are poetic, speculative, suspenseful and frightening. The actors never speak to each other, but still manage to silently propel the story in a very believable way. This in itself is miraculous considering how easy it would be for the actors to drown in theatricality, considering the cinematic circumstances.
The remainder of Ovo is propelled via an original score by Starscaper— and Wilson himself— who is also the cinematographer, among other creative credentials.
The music and visual effects are both enticing and violent, and may be considered principal characters in Wilson’s tour de force about life, death, retribution and new beginnings. And even though the visuals are clearly computer generated, they are never overdone or ridiculous, as is often the case.
As for the downside of Ovo, I can’t find anything, though as always, this film may not be for everyone, especially those seeking an ordinary narrative science fiction thriller. Instead, Ovo is contemporary Avant Garde Cinema as it is meant to be, in all its experimental and universal glory.
