Settlers
By Kat Halstead,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Bleak sci-fi has constant threat, bloody violence, language.
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Settlers
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What's the Story?
In SETTLERS, Ilsa (Sofia Boutella) and Reza (Johnny Lee Miller) have settled on Mars and are bringing up their daughter, Remmy (Brooklynn Prince and Nell Tiger Free), on an isolated farmstead. They teach her about the history of life on Earth and how to live off the land, but shield her from the potential threats that lurk beyond. That is, until that threat comes knocking on their door and they are forced to fight for everything they hold dear.
Is It Any Good?
Despite being mostly bleak and slow-burning, Wyatt Rockefeller's debut feature keeps the tension high and manages to illicit a sense of dread around every corner of the stark, claustrophobic setting. Though the landscape in Settlers appears to stretch out for miles, with nothing on the horizon but scorched rock, there's a constant sense that it is slowly closing in, bringing with it impending doom.
Prince, who was universally lauded for her breakthrough debut, The Florida Project, shows the same phenomenal talent here, stealing every scene with a magnetic presence far beyond her 11 years. Game of Thrones' Free takes up the mantel as older Remmy with ease later in the movie, offering a stoic elegance in the face of Ismael Cruz Cordova's brutish yet slightly ungraspable Jerry. Relying heavily on familiar genre ideas -- although happily so in the case of adorable Wall-E-style robot Steve -- and following a fairly predictable narrative, the movie doesn't particularly explore new frontiers. But what it does, it does well, cranking up the tension throughout and giving Prince's show-stealing performance plenty of oxygen to breathe.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Settlers. How did it affect you? Was it meant to be shocking or thrilling? What's the difference? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Discuss the use of strong language. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How did the movie create a sense of place and atmosphere?
Discuss the idea of going to live on another planet. Do you think that's a realistic future for humankind?
How did this movie compare to other sci-fi movies you might have seen? What were the differences/similarities?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 23, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: February 15, 2022
- Cast: Sofia Boutella , Ismael Cruz Cordova , Brooklynn Prince
- Director: Wyatt Rockefeller
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors, Black actors, Latino actors
- Studio: IFC Midnight
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Robots , Space and Aliens
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: October 8, 2022
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