VeteranLight
I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
Plustown
A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
Humaira Grant
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Jonah Abbott
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
queun
How do you make a "realistic" movie about reanimation? In all honesty you can't, but you come closest by presenting characters with realistic reactions and motivations in an implausible situation. In most movies, the reaction to a loved one's unexpected return is most often horror or joy. The reaction could well be sadness and confusion. This is more subtle and thought provoking and more difficult to make interesting, but I think this film succeeds in that respect. The messages are subtle, the presentation of a well worn plot device was original, the acting was believable.If you need gore in a reanimation movie or pies in the face in a comedy, skip this movie. But if you want something to think about for a little while after the closing credits you may enjoy this.
Sydney
I honestly don't have to much to say. This is reaaaally terrible. I first rented it because it looked interesting and some of the best movies I have ever seen that isn't dumb-looking was unknown to me. So I picked it up and then later I checked IMDb and noticed the bad ratings but I had optimism. I watched it....yeah. The acting is either really dull or really dumb. The characters aren't interesting. The story could work out if they made it well...WORK OUT. It seriously is not worth watching. Forget this movie. Walk away from it or you'll regret it. ....Trust me. 1/10
Alison
In Phasma Ex Machina, Cody (played by Sasha Andreev) is devastated by the sudden deaths of his parents; even though he's just barely an adult, he has sole custody of younger brother James (Max Hauser), whom he is unintentionally neglecting because of the force of his grief. A year and more later, he has become obsessed with creating a machine that will "bring them back," using electromagnetic fields and negative ions to create something of a bridge between one world and the next. After all, just because people have "passed over" into death doesn't mean the realm they go to is immune from the laws of physics, right? Cody is able to buy arcane electronic equipment, creating his own Vandergraaf Generator and using solar adaptors made and sold by Tom (Matthew Feeney), an older man just coming to terms with the death of his wife six years ago and just starting to form a relationship with a new woman. But Cody is on to something, and Tom's not as much over his grief as he thinks he is. Add to that the fact that nobody can control who might "come back," and, well, anything might happen....This is a first film by writer/director Matt Osterman, who hosted the World Premiere at the FantAsia Festival in Montreal, and I've got to say, it's perfect. In every way, this is a perfect film - the writing, the direction, the framing of the story, the cinematography, the acting, everything. The only actor I'd heard of in this is Laurie King (who plays a middle-aged neighbour of the boys, in a small but key role), but every one of these actors is spot on. Completely naturalistic in behaviour and authentic in dialogue - you really believe these are real, ordinary people doing things that real, ordinary people do, or would like to do. I was especially impressed with Sasha Andreev, who looks a bit like a cross between Freddy Rodriguez and Casey Affleck, and whose acting is as good as the latter's without the annoying adenoidal voice. Even the ending of the film is perfect, in that not everything comes out alright, but that's okay because that is the way life really is.Really. This film should be getting a decent release in the US - it helps a lot that it's American-made and in English, perhaps our only FantAsia film without subtitles; I've read rumours that major studios are already lining up for a Hollywood remake, but you know they'll mess that up. So do what you can to encourage a release, please; it's very much worth it! Go to HTTP://www.phasmamovie.com/ - the official website - and check out the trailer for yourself.This is quite possibly the best film I've seen all year - not best FantAsia film, but film, period. A gazillion stars!
Adam Cuttler
Have you ever stood completely still in your house and felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, or felt a sudden burst of chilled air in an otherwise warm room? Maybe what you are feeling isn't just a random altering of sensations, but rather a supernatural occurrence correlating to electronic emissions in power lines in and around your house.Now, what would happen if say, you were an expert electrician whose knowledge of all things electrical is equaled only by your passion to resurrect your recently deceased parents by means of something resembling a large home stereo? You don't need a degree in electrical engineering to know that going against nature or bringing back something – especially through the use of science – you're not supposed to will and can only end badly. Lest we forget the lessons learned in Jurassic Park? Speaking of Spielberg's dinosaurs, it's no spoiler to say that director Matt Osterman's Phasma Ex-Machina doesn't have a T-Rex, a high speed chase, or even Jeff Goldblum for that matter. But what this film does have is an original ghost story script with just enough menacing moments to leave you with an eerie creeped out feeling when all is said and done. It also has a refreshing and more true-to-life (even in the supernatural realm in which it lives) ending seldom seen in bigger budgeted more conventionalized Hollywood type films. It would be interesting to see what this young filmmaker could do if given a bigger budget. I for one am looking forward to seeing what else he has to offer.