Frequencies (film)

Last updated

Frequencies
Frequencies (film) poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Darren Paul Fisher
Written byDarren Paul Fisher
Produced byDarren Paul Fisher
Starring
  • Daniel Fraser
  • Eleanor Wyld
CinematographyJames Watson
Edited byDarren Paul Fisher
Music byBlair Mowat
Production
company
Incurably Curious Productions
Distributed byFilmBuff
Release date
  • 24 July 2013 (2013-07-24)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Frequencies, also known as OXV: The Manual, is a 2013 independent British science fiction romance, thriller film written and directed by Darren Paul Fisher. The film stars Daniel Fraser, Eleanor Wyld, and Owen Pugh. The film takes place in a world where human worth and emotional connections are determined by set "frequencies". The film was produced by Fisher and Alice Hazel Henley, and released on 24 July 2013.

Contents

Plot

The plot develops in a world where every person emits a specific frequency which determines his or her luck, further determining his or her success in life. Higher frequency means better luck and thus less feelings. [1] In this world where relationship, connections, and life worth is determined by predestined "frequencies", Isaac-Newton Midgeley, known as Zak, is a Low Born who wants to change his fate and start a relationship with High Born savant, Marie-Curie Fortune.

Despite his teachers and his parents who tell Zak that Marie and he are opposites which will never attract, Zak attempts throughout his youth to court Marie, with no success. Marie, being of high frequency, is unable to feel emotion; however, her goal is to feel love. Zak's friend, Theo, attempts to help Zak raise his frequency, a feat claimed to be impossible. During his teenage years, Zak uses magnets and other methods to no avail.

Upon returning, as a young adult to Marie's birthday, he claims to be able to raise his frequency and eventually manages a kiss from Marie. The two end up spending the night together. Zak discovers with Theo that sound waves, when combined with gibberish two-syllable words, are able to temporarily raise one's frequency. They create a cell phone device which, based on the environment, is able to determine which words can raise one's frequency.

However, Zak and Marie discover that the words actually have mind-controlling properties, which may have caused their love. A secret government organization detains Zak and his associates, revealing that this phenomenon had been known throughout history but slowly forgotten. By 1760, this phenomenon had lost much of its power. Unable to contact Theo, Zak uses a word to paralyze his captor and escapes. Zac escapes to Theo's house whose father reveals that music, specifically by Mozart, can balance everyone's frequencies and nullify the mind-controlling properties of these words. Theo is able to calculate an equation based on music and discover that fate exists. He is able to predict the future and destinies of others. Zak and Marie realize their love was caused by fate, not choice. Finding this irrelevant, the two hold hands while Theo realizes the perfect philosophical equation.

Cast

Reception

The film holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, based on seven reviews. [2] Daniel Gold of The New York Times wrote, "While the detached, deadpan tone and occasionally stilted acting might leave some viewers flat, there’s no doubting the fierce intelligence behind this admirable puzzle box of a movie." [3] Alan Scherstuhl of The Village Voice said the film was "an uncommonly ambitious science-fiction romance ... sparkling and unsettling at once". [4] MaryAnn Johanson of Flick Filosopher praised the film for its "incredibly ambitious and profoundly provocative science fiction drama about ideas that require no FX to sell them". [5] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Though the explanations Fisher comes up with for his sci-fi contrivances may not be fully satisfying in the end, the conceits themselves offer much to play with, bringing the film into that pleasing area where an imaginary reality has interesting things to say about our own." [6] Richard Whittaker of The Austin Chronicle wrote, "What raises Fisher's script to the upper echelons of the current wave of intellectually challenging indie sci-fi ... is that it truly weaves its concept into its nature." [7] Kurt Halfyard of Twitch Film wrote that it "is chock-a-block full of knowledge, destiny and imagination, but suffers a bit from a lack of heart and soul." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Trekkies 2</i> 2004 American film

Trekkies 2 is a 2004 American documentary film directed by Roger Nygard, and the sequel to the 1997 film Trekkies. The film travels throughout the world, mainly Europe, to show fans of Star Trek, commonly known as Trekkies. It also profiles people from the first film, including Barbara Adams and Gabriel Köerner. Also featured are Star Trek-themed punk bands from Sacramento, California, including Warp 11 and the "No Kill I" franchise.

Fetching Cody is a 2005 Canadian drama/science-fiction film, written and directed by David Ray.

<i>The Visitor</i> (1979 film) 1979 film by Giulio Paradisi

The Visitor is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Giulio Paradisi and based on a story by Egyptian-born Italian writer and producer Ovidio G. Assonitis. It features a cast of well-established stars including John Huston, Shelley Winters, Mel Ferrer, Glenn Ford and Sam Peckinpah with supporting appearances by Neal Boortz and Steve Somers. It was filmed on location in Atlanta, Georgia and at Cinecittà Studios in Rome. It has garnered a cult following over the years.

Private Dicks: Men Exposed is a 1999 American HBO TV documentary on the human penis. The film was directed by Thom Powers and Meema Spadola who previously made HBO's 1996 Breasts: A Documentary, a similar documentary on the breast.

Darren Paul Fisher is a feature film screenwriter, producer and director. Fisher is also the Head of Film, Screen and Creative Media at Bond University.

<i>My Sucky Teen Romance</i> 2011 American film

My Sucky Teen Romance is a 2011 American comedy horror film directed by Emily Hagins and her third feature-length film. It was first released on March 15, 2011, at the South by Southwest film festival and stars Elaine Hurt as a young teenager that falls in love with a teenage vampire at a sci-fi convention. My Sucky Teen Romance was partially funded through Indiegogo.

<i>Time Lapse</i> (film) 2014 American film

Time Lapse is a 2014 American indie sci-fi thriller directed by Bradley D. King and starring Danielle Panabaker, Matt O'Leary, and George Finn. King's directorial debut, it centers upon a group of friends who discover a machine that can take pictures of things 24 hours into the future, causing increasingly complex causal loops. It premiered on April 18, 2014 at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lolani</span> Episode of Star Trek Continues

"Lolani" is a fan-produced Star Trek episode released in 2014, the second in the web series Star Trek Continues, which aims to continue the episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series while replicating their visual and storytelling style. It was written by Paul Bianchi and Huston Huddleston from a story by Huston Huddleston and Vic Mignogna, and directed by Chris White.

<i>Advantageous</i> 2015 American film

Advantageous is a 2015 American science fiction drama film starring Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, and Samantha Kim. The film was released exclusively on Netflix on June 23, 2015.

<i>Air</i> (2015 film) 2015 film by Christian Cantamessa

Air is an 2015 American post-apocalyptic film directed by Christian Cantamessa and written by Cantamessa and Chris Pasetto. Starring Norman Reedus, Djimon Hounsou and Sandrine Holt, the film depicts a dystopian future following a biochemical weapons disaster which has wiped out most of mankind and rendered the air unbreathable. The film focuses on a group of survivors in an underground facility as they struggle to survive after an equipment failure. Produced by Skybound Entertainment, the film was released in the United States on August 14, 2015. It received generally negative reviews from critics.

<i>Synchronicity</i> (film) 2015 American science fiction film

Synchronicity is a 2015 American science fiction film written, directed, and edited by Jacob Gentry. It stars Chad McKnight, A. J. Bowen, Brianne Davis, Scott Poythress, and Michael Ironside. McKnight plays a physicist who invents a time machine and becomes suspicious that others may be trying to steal the technology. It premiered at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival and had a limited release in theaters and on video on demand and iTunes on January 22, 2016.

<i>The Rendlesham UFO Incident</i> 2014 British horror film by Daniel Simpson

The Rendlesham UFO Incident is a 2014 British horror film directed by Daniel Simpson. It stars Danny Shayler, Abbie Salt, and Robert Curtis as three friends who become lost in the Rendlesham Forest and discover evidence of UFO activity, decades after the Rendlesham Forest incident. It premiered at the Colchester Film Festival on 22 October 2014 and was released in the UK on 9 February 2015. It is shot in the style of found footage.

Tales from the Loop is an American science fiction drama television series developed and written by Nathaniel Halpern based on the art book of the same name by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag. The eight-episode first season was released in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video on April 3, 2020.

<i>The Time Travelers Wife</i> (TV series) 2022 science fiction romantic drama TV series

The Time Traveler's Wife is a science fiction romantic drama television series based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger. The series was developed and written by Steven Moffat, who had previously taken inspiration from Niffenegger's novel for his work on the science fiction series Doctor Who. It was directed by David Nutter, stars Rose Leslie and Theo James, and premiered on HBO on May 15, 2022. The series was canceled after one season in July 2022. The fans of the show started a petition to save the series by approaching other streaming platforms to pick it up for renewal. It was removed from HBO Max in December 2022.

<i>Prospect</i> (film) 2018 film by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell

Prospect is a 2018 American science fiction film starring Pedro Pascal, Sophie Thatcher, and Jay Duplass. The film, written and directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell, features a teenage girl named Cee (Thatcher) and her father Damon (Duplass) who land on a poisonous forest moon to mine for valuable gems. A series of betrayals, alliances, and conflicts with mercenaries and rival prospectors make their quest increasingly perilous.

<i>Archive</i> (film) 2020 British film

Archive is a 2020 British science fiction film written and directed by Gavin Rothery, in his directorial debut. It stars Theo James, Stacy Martin, Rhona Mitra, Peter Ferdinando, Timea Maday Kinga and Toby Jones. Set in 2038, the film follows a scientist who is trying to advance artificial intelligence a step further than human beings, all while bringing his wife back from the dead.

Johanson analysis, developed by film critic MaryAnn Johanson, provides a method to evaluate the representation of women and girls in fiction. The analysis evaluates media on criteria that include the basic representation of women, female agency, power and authority, the male gaze, and issues of gender and sexuality. Johanson's 2015 study, funded by a Kickstarter campaign, compiled statistics for every film released in 2015, and all those nominated for Oscars in 2014 or 2015. She also drew conclusions about movie profitability when women are represented well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduardo Franco (actor)</span> American actor (born 1994)

Eduardo Franco is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Argyle in Netflix's popular sci-fi drama Stranger Things, Theo in the coming of age feature film Booksmart, and Spencer Diaz in the mockumentary series American Vandal. He is also a member of the musical duo "Dumb Bitches w/ Internet" with Noetic Nixon.

<i>Jessica Forever</i> 2018 French film

Jessica Forever is a 2018 French fantasy sci-fi drama film written and directed by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel. The film premiered as the closing film of the Platforms section of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. It also showed in the Panorama section of the 69th Berlin International Film Festival in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ "FREQUENCIES Review: A Sci-Fi Movie That Favors Ideas Over Effects". Birth.Movies.Death. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Frequencies (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Gold, Daniel M. (22 May 2014). "'Frequencies' Mixes a Love Story and Science Fiction". The New York Times . Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Scherstuhl, Alan (19 May 2014). "Frequencies Makes Smart Sci-Fi From What Thrums in the Young". The Village Voice . Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  5. ↑ MaryAnn Johanson (25 May 2014). "Frequencies movie review: do you feel me?". Flick Filosopher. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  6. ↑ DeFore, John (27 August 2013). "OXV: The Manual: Fantasia Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  7. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (24 May 2014). "DVDanger Extra: 'Frequencies'". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Halfyard, Kurt (22 May 2014). "Review: FREQUENCIES, A Mighty Brain, But A Heart Three Sizes Too Small". Twitch Film . Retrieved 15 February 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.