christian movie review 65

Reviewed by: Shawna Ellis CONTRIBUTOR

Are the millions and billions of years promoted by Evolutionists real? Answers

Top choice for accurate, in-depth information on Creation/Evolution. The SuperLibrary is provided by a top team of experts from various respected creationist organizations who answer your questions on a wide variety of topics. Multilingual.

Visit our dinosaur-size Web site where you’ll discover a mountain of knowledge and amazing discoveries. How do dinosaurs fit into the Bible? You’ll find the answer to this and many more of your questions. Play games, browse and learn. Includes many helps for teachers and parents.

DINOSAUR ORIGIN —Where did the dinosaurs come from? Answer

Are dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible?

WHY did God create dinosaurs? Answer

LIVING WITH DINOSAURS —What would it have been like to live with dinosaurs? Answer

NOAH’S ARK—Did Noah take dinosaurs on the Ark? Answer

DINOSAURS AFTER THE FLOOD —Following the Flood, what happened to dinosaurs? Answer

Is there a connection between dragon legends and dinosaurs ?

FEAR, Anxiety and Worry —What does the Bible say? Answer

Bravery, courage, self-sacrifice to protect others

SUICIDE —What does the Bible say? Answer

If a true Christian commits suicide, will they go to Heaven? Answer

C hildren and adults alike are fascinated by dinosaurs . The thought that this world was once inhabited by terrifying beasts arouses the imagination. People have shown their love for the dinosaur movie genera by flocking to the various “ Jurassic Park ” and “ Jurassic World ” films, anxious to see depictions of dinosaurs and humans together. With the public’s love for dinosaur action, I was surprised to find only a handful of other moviegoers in the theater on the opening night of “65.” It seems to have all the right elements for a successful dino film… a big-name star in Adam Driver , the interesting premise of a space traveler crashing on a world in which dinosaurs roam, a script by the writers of the very successful “ A Quiet Place ,” and lots of visually stunning action. But even with all these positives, “65” just seems to fall a little flat.

The premise of the film is a little confusing, as we are told that it is set “before the advent of man,” yet we have seemingly human characters from other worlds with advanced technology exploring the cosmos. One of these explorers is Mills ( Adam Driver ), a pilot about to leave his wife and daughter for a two year mission. Mills is hesitant to go but feels that he must for financial reasons surrounding his daughter’s illness. As she struggles with being the cause of his leaving, he lovingly tells her, “I’m not going because of you. I’m going for you.” The devotion that Mills has for his family is refreshing.

However, the two year mission becomes instead a fight for survival on an uncharted planet populated by fearsome creatures and huge insects. Even the environment of the planet itself is deadly, with a landscape in tumultuous upheaval brimming with threats at every turn. Can Mills and another survivor escape the deadly unknown planet before it is too late?

The movie feels like a rather slow race against time. The continual peril in which the characters find themselves is exhausting to watch. While there is some exciting action, it becomes a repetitive over time. Lead actors Adam Driver and young Ariana Greenblatt do their best with incredibly limited dialog and a relatively short runtime (93 minutes). While there is very little objectionable in the film (other than violent peril, some language and Evolutionism), there is also very little that I found to be truly memorable. A few scenes play out dramatically, but it is hard to become immersed in the characters and their motivations when they are in such continual unabated peril.

A major theme of the film is the age of Earth . This movie promotes the Evolutionary worldview that Earth is many billions of years old. This view does not hold up against a literal reading of the Bible, but I will not attempt to disseminate that here when there are already many fine articles to be found on this very foundational topic. Also, the film proposes that there is not just life on other planets but that the life found there seems to be human. Does life exist elsewhere? Again, these articles will better answer that question than I could in this brief review. Besides these problematic topics, the movie does have some other content of concern.

What does the Bible say about intelligent life on other planets ?

Are we alone in the universe ?

Does Scripture refer to life in space ?

Questions and answers about the origin of LIFE

VIOLENCE: Characters are in constant peril of attacks by frightening creatures, hazards from the environment and more. Wounds are seen, sometimes in close detail. Dead bodies are shown. A character contemplates suicide . Someone foams at the mouth and vomits in a disturbing sequence. Various creatures are shot, beaten, and burned. There are frequent jump scares. Characters are sometimes trapped with no way to escape. Children in my viewing audience cried in fear at some scenes, especially when the young girl Koa was in danger.

FILM VIOLENCE —How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer

LANGUAGE: There are several uses of “sh*t,” sometimes from the mouth of a child. “ Damn ” is used once.

SEXUALITY: A married couple embraces briefly. There is no nudity, and this movie is refreshingly free of any sexual references or innuendo.

OTHER: The worldview of other civilizations existing before humans were on earth is not Biblical. The concept of Earth existing for millions of years is a premise of the film.

Although I did not find “65” to be very memorable, it has a Biblically sound theme about doing whatever one can to protect those who are in danger. In this way it hit some of the same notes as “ A Quiet Place ,” an earlier work by the same writers. But where I found “A Quiet Place” to be an excellent film more about the family than the monsters, “65” seems like a vessel for just showing monstrous action with some attempt at drama added. I appreciate the effort, and I give it more value than the often crass and ridiculous latter films in the “ Jurassic World ” franchise, but it felt a little bit one-note.

The worldview concerns surrounding extraterrestrial life and millions of years of Evolution make me hesitate to recommend “65” to audiences who may be confused or misled. With these concerns as well as the constant violence and terror, it is certainly not for young children despite having a child as one of the lead characters.

• Violence: Very Heavy
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate— • S-words (3)
• Profane language: Mild— • D*mn
• Nudity: None
• Drugs/Alcohol: None
• Occult: None
• Wokeism: None

Editor’s comment

Followers of Christ should alert about this film’s promotion of ANCIENT ALIENS or ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS theory, because this is an issue that is truly deceiving a very great number of people, partly because it is presented as scientific and archaeological (both false claims). At its base, it is a lie being used by godless people to “scientifically” explain away Biblical miracles and events—and God Himself.

This tactic started with atheist author H.P. Lovecraft. Years later, this pseudo-scientific idea was famously promoted by Erich von Däniken ( Chariots of the Gods ) and others. The Director of this film was inspired by von Däniken, and says so. This idea has particularly been used by some whose worldviews are New Age or Evolutionism/Atheism (or both).

The claim is that extraterrestrials with advanced technology came to Earth in ancient times and were mistaken for gods, angels and supernatural activity—and that out of these encounters with naive and unsophisticated humans (who misunderstood what they witnessed), humans began to worship these aliens—and the world’s religions (including Christianity) are the end result.

I have researched these claims in considerable depth, including attending von Däniken lectures. I am in agreement with many other researchers, the so-called evidence for this fantasy is filled with foolish errors and serious outright lies and deceptions.

Nonetheless, many sci-fi books, movies and TV shows have eagerly used and promoted what is essentially a dangerous Atheist-inspired worldview.

What difference does it make? When accepted, this pseudo-science leads people directly away from Biblical truth about Earth’s Creation , mankind’s place in God’s plan, Earth’s history of wicked rebellion against the Creator, and the record of His judgments . Inherent in this worldview is rejection of belief in God and the Bible. People are less likely to perceive their spiritually bankrupt state before God and are more unlikely to want—or listen to—the Gospel .

Entertainment dramas that use the ancient extraterrestrial encounters fantasy and thus promote it some extent…

• “ Stargate ” (2001)
• “ Prometheus ” (2012)
• “ Knowing ” (2009)
• “ Thor ” (2011)
• “ The X-Files: Fight the Future ” (1998), etc.
• “ Alien vs. Predator ” (2004)
• Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), and most of the “Transformers” series
• “ Outlander ” (2008)
• “ The Fifth Element ” (1997)
• “ Mission To Mars ” (2000)
• “Star Trek” various episodes, including “Star Trek: The Next Generation—The Chase,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation—Who Watches the Watchers” —Gene Roddenberry, creator of “Star Trek” was an opponent of all beliefs in God
• “2001: A Space Odyssey”—the monolith
• “Earth: Final Conflict”
• “Space: 1999”
• “Quatermass and the Pit”
• …and many more

If nothing else, the mere CONSTANT REPETITION of this view of history in entertainment media is causing it to become embedded in the minds of billions of people, making it somehow seem to them less ludicrous than it really is. Discerning Christians know that we and God have an Enemy who is the father of lies who seeks to deceive the whole world.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Violent, by-the-numbers sci-fi/dinosaur movie has gory bits.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Encourages selflessness: One character considers g

Both characters are strong and resourceful; they t

Four characters: Mills (Adam Driver), a White man,

Many are said to have died in cryosleep during cra

A few uses of "s--t." One use of "damn." A use of

Parents need to know that 65 is a sci-fi/dinosaur movie about a space traveler named Mills (Adam Driver) who crash-lands on primitive Earth and must battle dinosaurs to save his one surviving passenger, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt). Expect intense violence: Characters die (their bodies are shown), there's…

Positive Messages

Encourages selflessness: One character considers giving up until he discovers that there's another person to think about.

Positive Role Models

Both characters are strong and resourceful; they take turns helping each other out of scrapes, working to overcome difficult odds.

Diverse Representations

Four characters: Mills (Adam Driver), a White man, is the central character. Young Koa is played by Ariana Greenblatt, who is of Puerto Rican heritage. Mills' wife (seen in prologue), played by Nika King, is Black. Their mixed-race daughter, Nevine, is played by Chloe Coleman, who is of African, Eastern European, and English descent. Mills' insistence on Koa learning English -- rather than trying to understand her language -- supports dominant power structures.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Many are said to have died in cryosleep during crash-landing. Dead bodies lie in a swamp. Girl in peril. Main character shoots laser-like space gun. Splattering dinosaur blood. Explosions. Main character pulls metal shard out of bloody wound. Character attacked by small dinosaur; he bashes it to death with gun butt. Main character falls out of tree; painfully snapping dislocated shoulder back into place. Dinosaur stabbed with pointed tusk. Quicksand. Dinosaur corpse covered in blood and maggots. Burned, gory dinosaur corpse. Red-tinted water sloshing on ship. Fiery crash-landing. Dinosaurs attack and eat one another. Asteroids colliding with ship. Main character briefly considers death by suicide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

A few uses of "s--t." One use of "damn." A use of "oh God" while in pain.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that 65 is a sci-fi/dinosaur movie about a space traveler named Mills ( Adam Driver ) who crash-lands on primitive Earth and must battle dinosaurs to save his one surviving passenger, Koa ( Ariana Greenblatt ). Expect intense violence: Characters die (their bodies are shown), there's splattering dinosaur blood/gore, and Mills pulls a shard of metal out of his own bloody wound. Mills also shoots a space-laser gun at dinosaurs and bashes a small dinosaur to death with the butt of his gun. There are also explosions and falls from high places, and a character briefly considers death by suicide. A girl is sometimes in peril. Language includes a few uses of "s--t," plus "damn" and "oh God." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (6)
• Kids say (10)

Based on 6 parent reviews

Dinosaurs look awesome

Decent popcorn flick but huge missed opportunity, what's the story.

In 65, astronaut Mills ( Adam Driver ), from the planet Somaris, agrees to a two-year trip through space, since the increased pay will help cover his daughter's medical expenses. Unfortunately, while he's in cryosleep, the ship is pelted with asteroids and forced to make a crash landing. Only Mills and young Koa ( Ariana Greenblatt ) survive. But somehow, they've ended up on Earth, 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs roamed. Now they must hike 15 kilometers across a deadly landscape to find the only remaining escape pod. And there's another problem: The asteroid that hit their ship was only a small one.

Is It Any Good?

While this sci-fi/dinosaur movie is competently made, it really only has one good idea, and it doesn't do much with it. The rest is generic and familiar and fails to generate much suspense or emotion. The first thing viewers must accept in 65 is that there's another planet that has inhabitants who speak English and act just like Earth humans. After the crash, we get all the usual CGI dinosaur attacks and jump scares -- all very similar to what we've seen before in the many Jurassic Park / World movies. The screenplay -- following a beat-by-beat, three-act formula -- sets up all the elements it's going to use during the final payoff, and it's all noticeable because there's not much else to think about. But perhaps the oddest touch in this movie is the decision to have Koa speak a different language (she's from a different "district" than Mills). This leads to many scenes of Mills trying to force Koa to learn English words -- which she gamely does -- rather than him trying to understand what she's saying. It's all a bit of a drag, like Land of the Lost with the fun taken out. Ultimately, 65 leaves us feeling dino-sore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about 65 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

How does the movie handle the difference in the languages that the characters speak? How does the language barrier affect the story?

How does the movie deal with grief?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 10, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : May 2, 2023
• Cast : Adam Driver , Ariana Greenblatt , Chloe Coleman
• Directors : Scott Beck , Bryan Woods
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studios : Sony Pictures , Columbia Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Dinosaurs
• Run time : 93 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : intense sci-fi action and peril, and brief bloody images
• Last updated : July 29, 2023

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Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Movie Review: ’65’

NEW YORK (OSV News) – Feeling nostalgic for the Mesozoic Era? You won’t be after seeing the sci-fi adventure “65” (Sony).

The film’s title refers to the millions of years into the past to which co-writers and directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods transport their audience. Not exactly a frolicsome time as far as Mother Nature was concerned.

So, the protagonist, a humanoid alien named Mills (Adam Driver), discovers after the spaceship he pilots is wrecked by meteors and he’s forced to crash land on an unknown planet that turns out to be Earth. Humanoid is a rather loose term here since Mills is, in every respect, just a person who happens to be from outer space.

The same can be said of the only other survivor of the disaster, a young passenger called Koa (Ariana Greenblatt). She reminds Mills of Nevine (Chloe Coleman), the ailing daughter he left at home when he embarked on his mission. Thus he’s naturally disposed to protect and care for the lass.

To save themselves, the duo must trek to a rescue vehicle that detached from the main vessel and now lies atop a nearby mountain. Along the way, they’ll have to dodge an array of predatory creatures, including dinosaurs large and small. What follows is a vivid demonstration of the fact that – the adventures of Fred Flintstone notwithstanding – people and dinos don’t mix.

Mills’ determination to safeguard his accidental protege is admirable. And the bond that develops between the two is enjoyable to observe. Yet, what with the mud, the outsized bugs and the rapacious raptors hovering in the skies, the arduous journey on screen becomes a toilsome slog for viewers as well.

On the upside, Beck and Woods include few objectionable ingredients in their script. So “65” is probably acceptable for older teens. Still, the best advice for moviegoers young or grown is likely “Yabba dabba don’t.”

The film contains images of a gory wound, potentially upsetting plot developments, at least one mild oath and about a half-dozen crude terms. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on Twitter @JohnMulderig1.

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You’d think a movie in which Adam Driver fights a bunch of dinosaurs couldn’t possibly be boring, but that’s exactly what “65” is.

This is a movie that would have benefitted from being a whole lot stupider. The big-budget sci-fi flick—which reportedly cost $91 million to make and was featured in a Super Bowl ad—should have embraced its inherent B-movie roots. Instead, it tries to juggle a wild survival story with a poignant family drama, but both elements feel so rushed and underdeveloped that neither ends up registering. There’s nothing to these characters, and the action sequences quickly grow repetitive and wearisome. There’s a jump scare, insistent notes from an overbearing score, some running and screaming, the gnashing of teeth, and maybe an injury before a narrow escape. Over and over and over again.

But the film from the writing-directing team of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods , whose credits include co-writing “ A Quiet Place ” with John Krasinski , offers an intriguingly contradictory premise. It takes place 65 million years ago, but suggests that futuristic civilizations existed back then on planets throughout the universe. On one of them, Driver stars as a space pilot named Mills. He’s about to embark on a two-year exploratory mission in order to afford medical treatment for his ailing daughter ( Chloe Coleman from “ My Spy ,” who’s featured in the film’s prelude and sporadic video snippets).

On the way to his destination, the ship Mills is flying enters an unexpected asteroid field, gets torn to shreds, and crashes. All of the passengers in cryogenic sleep are killed—except one, who just happens to be a girl around the same age as his daughter. Her name is Koa, and she’s played by Ariana Greenblatt . And the planet, which has swampy terrain reminiscent of Dagobah, just happens to be—wait for it—Earth.

“65” requires Mills and Koa to schlep from the wreckage to a mountaintop so they can commandeer the escape pod that’s perched there and fly out before dinosaurs can stomp and chomp on them. The creatures can be startling at times, but at other times they look so cheesy and fake, they’re like the animatronics you’d see at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. And yet! It almost would have been better—or at least more entertaining—if “65” had leaned harder into that silliness if it had played with the basic ridiculousness of mixing complex technology with the Cretaceous period. They rarely use Mills’ advanced gadgets in any inspired ways within this prehistoric setting. The few attempts at humor fall flat—they mainly consist of Koa making fun of Mills for being uptight—and moments of peril wrap up too tidily for us to luxuriate in their anxiety. 

Worst of all, Driver doesn’t get to ham it up nearly enough here. He’s an actor of great intensity, which can be both thrilling and amusing if he’s amping it up in a knowing way. Imagine him screaming “More!!!” as he’s blasting Luke Skywalker in “ Star Wars: The Last Jedi ,” or punching a wall during an argument in “ Marriage Story .” But the man he plays in “65” is blandly heroic and just seems generally annoyed. Greenblatt, meanwhile, does the best she can with a character we know absolutely nothing about. Koa speaks a language that’s not English, so most of her exchanges with Mills consist of mimicking the basic words he says to her, including “family.” There’s no real bond between them, but neither is there any sort of prickly tension since they’re stuck with each other. “The Last of Us,” this is not.

Beck and Woods offer some clever camerawork here and there, but also some erratic editing choices. And they borrow quite a bit from the “ Jurassic Park ” franchise: a giant footprint in the mud or a dinosaur’s yellow eye leering menacingly through a window. But maybe that’s inevitable at this point. Their film only gets truly enjoyably nutty toward the end, with its climactic combination of a sneaky quicksand patch, a ravenous Tyrannosaurus rex, a well-timed geyser eruption, and a catastrophic asteroid shower. But by then, it’s too late for us—and the planet.

Now in theaters. 

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi action and peril, and brief bloody images.

Adam Driver as Mills

Ariana Greenblatt as Koa

Chloe Coleman as Nevine

Nika King as Alya

• Bryan Woods

Cinematographer

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65 Parent Guide

This movie has an interesting premise but the execution is an extinction level disaster..

Theaters: An astronaut crash lands on a unknown planet, but when he starts being hunted, he realizes he's actually on earth. 65 million years ago.

Release date March 10, 2023

Run Time: 93 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by keith hawkes.

Mills (Adam Driver) agreed to pilot a two year long space voyage for one reason - his daughter. Although the trip will separate them, he needs the money to pay for her medical care. But this trip is going to take longer than either of them expect…

When the ship is damaged as it passes through an uncharted asteroid belt, Mills lands on the nearest available planet, which happens to be Earth. But the Earth Mills crashes on is not one populated by humans. He’s arrived approximately 65 million years too early for us and the denizens of Earth in this era include huge bugs, strange plants…and the massive, terrible lizards we call dinosaurs.

You can really tell this movie was made by Americans. Who else would create a high-tech alien civilization capable of interstellar flight and still make them pay out of pocket for healthcare? Unfortunately, that little sociopolitical quirk isn’t the move’s only issue. Adam Driver is a capable actor, and he is just about the only reason to watch the film, but approximately 80% of his dialogue just consists of heavy mouth breathing to the point that it becomes distracting. Unfortunately, when he’s not on screen we’re either stuck with Koa, who doesn’t speak English (or barely anything else, for that matter), or some really, really, really weird dinosaurs. Somehow, 1993’s Jurassic Park remains the gold standard of dinosaur films, and this film, despite a generation’s worthof computer innovation, can’t even compete. Not least because the dinos still don’t have feathers, despite 30 years of scientific research in between these films indicating that they did. And if you think that feathered dinosaurs couldn’t be scary, I’d advise you to go look at a therizinosaur. Or a cassowary.

The editing in this movie is a real dog’s breakfast, almost literally. I think they edited portions of this film by feeding reels to a dog, and letting its digestive system do the work. (I don’t envy whoever had to recover the film, though.) Scenes either come to an abrupt and jarring end or drag out for a small eternity. This was one of those movies where I was checking my watch almost exactly every eight minutes, which is not an ideal audience experience.

Parents unconcerned by poor editing and dodgy writing might have some issues with the bloody violence in the film, which you should expect when you mix dinosaurs with humans, since we’re basically lunchboxes with legs as far as they’re concerned. There’s also a smattering of scatological profanity, but that’s about all you need to worry about – at least as far as content goes. The premise is interesting, but the execution is an extinction-level mess. In all honesty, I think I would have preferred being hit with a colossal asteroid to watching the film. The asteroid would at least be over sooner. And without quite as much heavy breathing, I hope.

About author

Keith hawkes, watch the trailer for 65.

65 Rating & Content Info

Why is 65 rated PG-13? 65 is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sci-fi action and peril, and brief bloody images

Violence: People are bitten and thrown around by dinosaurs. A character suffers a puncture wound in the crash, and another has a serious burn. An individual is seen contemplating suicide while holding a gun. Several corpses are visible. Dinosaurs are shot, stabbed, scalded, and blown up. A dinosaur is effectively de-fleshed by a geyser. Sexual Content: None. Profanity: There are seven scatological curses in the script. Alcohol / Drug Use: None.

Page last updated January 23, 2024

65 Parents' Guide

What do scientists think dinosaurs were really like? How has our understanding of dinosaurs evolved over time?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

Jurassic Park is adapted from the book of the same name by Michael Crichton. A very early depiction of prehistoric animals in fiction is in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World .

Related home video titles:

This film borrows some elements from After Earth . Other dinosaur movies include, obviously Jurassic Park , Jurassic Park: The Lost World , and Jurassic Park III , but also King Kong , Dinosaur , The Good Dinosaur , and tragically, Jurassic World , Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom , and Jurassic World: Dominion .

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65 review: a simple, bare-bones sci-fi thriller

“65 is a simple but effective sci-fi thriller that, thankfully, doesn't overstay its welcome.”

• Adam Driver's committed lead performance
• A lean 93-minute runtime
• Several intense, clever action sequences
• A messy, unpolished visual style
• An overly familiar story

The new movie 65 is a refreshingly unambitious sci-fi blockbuster.

Written and directed by A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the film is a straightforward, tight thriller that’s interested in little more than forcing its star, Adam Driver, to repeatedly fight a bunch of dinosaurs and other dangerous prehistoric creatures. The film employs no more visual effects than it absolutely needs, and it consistently makes strong use of its real-life environments and locations — most of which prove to be far more dangerous than they initially seem. In case its tight 93-minute runtime didn’t already make this clear: 65 doesn’t have any franchise aspirations, either.

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The film’s world-building is concise and efficiently delivered, and Beck and Woods’ screenplay doesn’t ever seem in danger of becoming obsessed with the kind of fictional minutiae or sci-fi gobbledygook that drag down so many other modern blockbusters. Its safeness and limited scope undoubtedly prevent 65 from rising to any truly great heights. However, there’s also something thrilling about the way 65 calls back to the days in which Hollywood’s sci-fi blockbusters could still be self-contained adventures that ask no more of their viewers than 90 minutes of their undivided attention.

As is alluded to by its title, 65 takes place around 65 million years ago and centers on Mills (Driver), a work-for-hire space pilot from a distant, technologically advanced planet. The film’s simple opening scene establishes Mills’ decision to take on a two-year transport mission in order to pay for the expensive medical treatments needed by his sick daughter, Nevine (Chloe Coleman). In its next scene, 65 catches up with Mills’ fateful mission as it’s upended by an asteroid field that damages Mills’ ship and sends him and his passengers crashing onto a nearby, uncharted terrestrial planet.

In the wake of the crash, Mills discovers that all but one of his cryogenically asleep passengers were killed by the destruction of his ship. Mills finds and wakes up the crash’s only other survivor, a young foreign girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), who unfortunately doesn’t speak the same language as Driver’s skilled pilot. Determined to make sure that Koa gets back home safely, Mills takes her on a multiday journey to his ship’s escape vessel, which landed over a dozen kilometers away from where he and Koa ended up.

Along the way, Beck and Woods reveal that Mills hasn’t crash-landed on just any terrestrial planet, but Earth itself. Mills is, therefore, forced throughout his and Koa’s journey to use his scientifically advanced weaponry to fight off a wide range of deadly prehistoric creatures. In what likely won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who has seen anything even remotely similar to 65 , Mills and Koa’s journey also results in the two characters gradually forming an intensely trusting, if unconventional, bond.

Despite what its dramatic opening title reveal would like you to believe, 65 is nowhere near as original as it thinks. Driver’s casting as Mills makes the film’s twist on a typical uncharted planet premise easy to accept, and 65 doesn’t have any more truly subversive tricks hidden up its sleeves. The film spends the bulk of its runtime following Mills and Koa as they encounter a series of dangerous creatures and obstacles over the course of their journey together. The film’s straightforward, obstacle-driven structure results in it feeling a bit repetitive in its second and third acts, which only makes the thinness of 65 ’s story feel that much more apparent at times.

There is, however, something uncomplicatedly thrilling about watching 65 ’s heroes come face-to-face with increasingly difficult challenges and still overcome them with their own brute force and intellect. There are moments throughout 65 in which Beck and Woods demonstrate the same knack for action storytelling that they did in A Quiet Place . That’s particularly true of one sequence in which Driver’s Mills is forced to fix his dislocated shoulder before a pack of dangerous, raptor-like dinosaurs get the chance to rip him and Koa apart.

Woods and Beck’s economical approach to 65 ’s story also allows the pair to make the most out of Mills’ various futuristic weapons. The duo often avoids relying on exposition by simply letting viewers watch Mills put his gadgets to use, as he does during one sequence in which he places a series of glowing markers around his and Koa’s camping spot. The character’s decision to place the markers where he does makes their purpose clear long before their yellow, pulsing lights turn red and Mills begins looking around in fear for any approaching creatures.

Beck and Woods’ visual style isn’t nearly as refined as their storytelling. There are numerous moments throughout 65 when the duo’s uneven mix of general coverage shots and dim lighting makes it difficult to maintain a clear sense of the film’s physical spaces. One underground showdown between Mills and an unidentified dinosaur is particularly confusing to watch due to both the overwhelming darkness throughout it and its lack of establishing wide shots. Beck and Woods bring much more control to some of 65 ’s other action sequences, but the duo’s visual style nonetheless comes across as disappointingly rough and messy during certain sections of the film.

Fortunately for it, 65 is luckier than most other Hollywood blockbusters because it’s led by Driver, a performer who is willing to bring the same level of commitment to films like 65 as he does to the more grounded dramas he typically stars in. Driver’s performance as Mills is so unsentimental and to the point that it ensures that the character’s rare moments of emotional vulnerability land with real force. In a way, the cut-and-dry nature of Driver’s performance is ultimately a reflection of 65 itself, a film that understands how even the most pared-down version of a story can still be compelling and entertaining if told with enough passion and focus.

65 is now playing in theaters.

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From the groundbreaking brilliance of Star Trek to the modern masterpiece Black Mirror, the greatest sci-fi TV shows of all time have expanded the genre's horizons and left an indelible mark on pop culture in the process. They promise worlds beyond anyone's wildest imagination, with the mind-bending journeys they depict ending up being some of the most unforgettable adventures ever seen on television. 10. Black Mirror (2011-present)

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In ‘65,’ Adam Driver might just save the world; the movie, not so much

This loony, murky and muddled sci-fi action semi-thriller with a-list star driver and talented writers takes a detour through b-movie lane in a film that isn’t compelling enough to make for silly popcorn entertainment but isn’t terrible enough to be labeled a disaster..

Adam Driver is a galactic traveler who finds himself on a distant planet where he confronts dinosaurs and more in “65.”

Hollywood has long been fascinated with placing humans and prehistoric beasts in the same time frame, from the 1940 fantasy adventure “One Million B.C.” (and the 1966 remake “One Million Years B.C.”) to the 1960s prime-time network animated series “The Flintstones” to the advent of the “Jurassic Park” franchise in the 1990s, which cleverly flipped the script and brought the dinosaurs to us instead of the other way around.

Now comes the loony, murky and muddled sci-fi action semi-thriller “65,” with A-list star Adam Driver and the talented writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (who collaborated with John Krasinski on “A Quiet Place”) taking a detour through B-Movie Lane in a film that isn’t compelling enough to make for silly popcorn entertainment but isn’t terrible enough to be labeled a disaster.

The premise of “65” sounds like something out of one of those fake movie trailers Mel Brooks or Ben Stiller would put together: Esteemed film actor Adam Driver plays a galactic traveler who crash-lands on Earth some 65 million years in the past and shoots his ray-gun at dinosaurs and other predators from the Cretaceous Period, all the while protecting a little girl who is a metaphor for his dying daughter. There’s even a moment when Driver’s long-haired and bearded Mills, who has sustained a wound in his side, looks like a dead ringer for “King of Kings” era Jesus. Or maybe this Adam is Biblical Adam!

Nah, he’s just a pilot who lives with his wife Alya (Nika King) and their daughter Nevine (Chloe Coleman) on the planet of Somaris, which we’re told is one of the multitude of civilizations that existed long before the dawn of humankind on Earth. Poor Nevine has one of those movie diseases that are indicated by a persistent, light cough, leading Mills to accept a two-year assignment piloting an exploratory flight to a distant planet so he can earn enough to pay for Nevine’s treatment. (Apparently, there’s a not a great health plan for intergalactic pilots and their families on Somaris.)

Mills and his passengers are enjoying a nice long cryogenic nap when an asteroid field smashes into the ship and knocks it off course, forcing a crash-landing on the nearest planet, the aforementioned Earth. There are only two survivors: Mills, and a 9-year-old girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), who is from another region of Somaris and speaks a different language.

As the reluctant anti-hero and the plucky child embark on their perilous journey to reach the escape pod from the other half of the shipwreck (“Last of Us” dynamic, anyone?), Mills doesn’t bother to try to learn the child’s language, but he teaches her words such as “family,” “ship” and most important, “RUN!”

We get a couple of decent jump-scares over the 92-minute running time, and Mills has some pretty cool toys he uses to fend off the just-OK CGI creatures of all sizes that keep trying to tear them apart. Driver plays it all in the same deadly serious tone he brings to fare such as “A Marriage Story,” which is kinda great, and Greenblatt is a gamer who throws herself into a cliché-riddled part.

One thing is for certain: If Mills and Koa ever DO make it back to Somaris, that man should march straight into headquarters — as soon as he’s recovered from his many, many injuries — and once again renegotiate his contract. Whatever raise they gave him, it wasn’t enough to put up with asteroids and dinosaurs and velociraptors, man.

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Wish (Christian Movie Review)

Verdict: Despite lacking the inventiveness of Disney’s golden era, Wish is a charming fairytale that should entertain young viewers.   

About The Movie

The narrative that Disney has completely lost its magical touch is challenged by the fact that many of its “modern” films— Moana, Zootopia, Tangled —are quite good . Nevertheless, several recent movies (see Strange World and Lightyear ) were emphatically rejected by family audiences due to uninspiring stories and problematic content. The once invincible animation studio is leaking some water and in need of a hit. To that end, Wish feels like Disney’s purposeful (some might say “desperate”) attempt to restore its reputation and earn back some goodwill. Wish may not be a smash hit destined to become a beloved classic, but it’s a reminder that Disney still knows how to weave an enjoyable fairytale.  

In many ways, Wish is a middle-of-the-road Disney movie. It’s not bad, but it never elevates itself into the stratosphere of the classic canon. Whereas the early Disney stories were groundbreaking, Wish feels like an uninspired retread of familiar paths. Rather than telling a “tale as old as time,” Wish seems to tell a narrative about Disney itself, brimming with Easter eggs and playful nods to prior films. These allusions are fun, but also a reminder of the studio’s better days.    

Musically, Wish is hit or miss. There are a few great tunes. The movie’s signature song, “This Wish,” is powerful, and “Knowing What I Know Now” works surprisingly well. Unfortunately, the rest of the soundtrack is forgettable. Chris Pine is a fantastic actor, but he doesn’t have the vocal pipes to elevate several lackluster songs. 

The gorgeous visual aesthetic makes a greater impression. The movie blends 3D animation with a delightfully classic 2D style. The beautiful hand-drawn animation style made me yearn for a return to that seemingly abandoned aesthetic.

The characters that populate that artfully animated world are enjoyable too, though they don’t really stand out. Asha (voiced by Arianna DeBose) is capable as the new Disney heroine, but she isn’t given much personality beyond her internal goodness. King Magnifico (Chris Pine) is an amusing but mostly one-dimensional villain. Valentino (a talking goat) is the standout as a fun sidekick who provides effective comic relief. 

Regarding content, Wish is relatively clean, lacking the problematic language or sexual elements that have derailed other recent animated films. But there are a few elements for Christian parents to note. Like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White , the villain is a magic-user who dabbles in so-called “forbidden” magic. Personally, magic in fairytales does not trouble me, but I know some Christians feel differently. Additionally, like many Disney stories, the film’s messaging reflects a nonbiblical worldview (see “themes” section below).  

Ultimately, Wish is unlikely to displace Frozen on a child’s movie rotation or change disillusioned parents’ minds, but it is a fun adventure. It may lack the inventiveness of Disney’s golden era, but Wish is a charming and enjoyable fairytale.  

For Consideration

Language: None. 

Violence: The “wishes” are depicted as tangible objects, and their destruction has a physical (but not fatal) effect on the wisher. While not necessarily “violence,” the film’s villain is quite menacing at times and may prove to be too intense for some younger viewers.  

Sexuality: There is nothing explicit, but there may be some ambiguous implications. One of Asha’s male friends becomes dejected when reminded that she won’t turn 18 for a few more months. The moment is likely harmless (in the story, turning 18 is a significant milestone), but it still struck me as odd. Additionally, some of Asha’s friends’ sexuality is somewhat ambiguous. There’s nothing clear cut regarding any character’s sexuality, and young viewers won’t perceive anything deeper taking place. But given Disney’s recent track record, some parents may read more into it.

Other: Magic is used frequently throughout. Magnifico is a sorcerer. His castle tower is filled with spell books and potions. Throughout the film, his magic becomes increasingly darker and more akin to witchcraft, as he speaks of “curses” and is shown adding items to a steaming caldron. His dark magic is reflective of Sleeping Beauty ’s Maleficent and Snow White ’s Evil Queen, visualized by green tendrils. The magic is mostly depicted as evil (although Asha is also granted magic wand akin to Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother).

Engage The Film

Naturalistic human origin stories    .

The song “ I’m a Star ” opens with the lyrics, “Have you ever wondered why you look up at the sky for answers?” To expect a Disney fairytale to provide a biblical or theological answer to that question is wishful thinking. Instead, the film presents a more naturalistic explanation: “See we’re all just little nebulae in a nursery. From supernovas now we’ve grown into our history. We’re taking why’s right out of mystery,” later concluding, “We are our own origin story.” In Wish , characters have a connection with the stars. Beyond the song lyrics, this cosmic relationship becomes a major plot element.  

The nature of the characters’ connection to the stars is not explicitly explained, but the clear implication is that life originated from the cosmos in a way that points toward naturalism rather than creationism. The song is akin to “The Colors of the Wind” in Pocahontas or “The Circle of Life” in The Lion King in that it emphasizes the connectivity of all living things. I don’t think it’s anything a simple, “No son, we’re not actually stars,” won’t clear up, but parents may want to use the film as a conversation starter about human origins and God’s creation. 

Don’t Just Make Wishes, Pursue Them      

Despite being based on Disney’s classic “wishing star,” the film’s message about wishes has been updated. Wish suggests that life is not about passively waiting for our wishes to be granted; it’s about pursuing them. 

In the story, characters surrender their wishes to Magnifico for safekeeping because they fear that they will fail to achieve them. These wishes are depicted as a segment of their lifeforce, a significant part of themselves that is lost when they give it up. Through Asha’s actions, the characters eventually learn that it is the pursuit of those dreams, not merely obtaining them, that gives them life. 

Of course, some Christians may still find this updated messaging to be far too individualistic and self-focused. Although, to be fair, while some of the wishes are trivial (e.g. flying like a bird), many are depicted as being for the collective good (e.g. creating something to inspire the next generation). Even so, is life really about pursuing our own wishes? Disney has always been idealistic in its messaging, rejecting pragmatism in favor of encouraging viewers to follow their heart and dream big. While still in that mold, I think Wish represents a more mature presentation of that classic message.   

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Martin Scorsese Chooses Jesus Christ as Subject of His Next Movie

Time to rewatch 'The Last Temptation of Christ.'

While we’re fervently waiting for the highly anticipated release of Martin Scorsese ’s next picture Killers of the Flower Moon , fans of the acclaimed director can already start looking forward to his next project. The information was revealed by Scorsese himself, who traveled to Italy after attending Cannes Film Festival . During a visit to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis , the filmmaker revealed that he is working on a screenplay for a film about none other than Jesus Christ .

Scorsese has never made it a secret that he was raised Catholic and that religion plays a great part both in his personal and professional lives. Should this new Jesus-themed movie continue in development, it won’t be the first time that the director tells a story centered on the deity. Back in 1988, he helmed the Christian epic The Last Temptation of Christ , which chronicled the life of the title character. The drama earned Scorsese his second directing nomination at the Oscars.

When announcing the movie, Scorsese mentioned that it was his response to Pope Francis’ appeal to artists. Known for his considerably modern approach to the Bible’s teachings, the Pope spoke publicly about the need for artists (poets, writers, and directors) to make their art because usually the great truths of humanity can only be spoken through an artistic voice. Scorsese stated:

“I have responded to the Pope’s appeal to artists in the only way I know how: By imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus. And I’m about to start making it.”

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Scorsese Movies and Faith

It’s too early to know further details about the upcoming project, but considering that Scorsese has already chronicled the life of Jesus Christ in his filmography , chances are he’ll choose to focus on a specific point of the god’s trajectory, or maybe create a whole new story that’s more related to faith and what Jesus represents, rather than Jesus himself. Another curious detail is that Scorsese mentions he’s sitting down to write the movie as well — something that he doesn’t do as often as directing. This could suggest that the upcoming project will be extremely personal .

Faith and religion are recurring themes in Scorsese’s filmography. Sometimes a character’s relationship with God and what they see as a sin will be worked into the story, but on more than one occasion it was the central theme of the film. The most recent was 2016’s Silence , in which he told the story of two priests who go to Japan in order to find their mentor who got incarcerated after trying to spread Catholicism in the Edo era.

Stick with Collider to know about Scorsese’s next movie as soon as it gets announced. In the meantime, Killers of the Flower Moon premieres in theaters on October 6.

You can watch the trailer below: