Stranded (2013 film)

Last updated

Stranded
Stranded-2013-Movie-Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Roger Christian
Written by
  • Roger Christian
  • Christian Piers Betley
Produced by
  • Mark Montague
  • Isabella Battiston
  • Kevin DeWalt
Starring Christian Slater
CinematographyMark Dobrescu
Edited byDaryl Davis
Music byTodd Bryanton
Production
companies
Distributed by Image Entertainment
Release date
  • 26 July 2013 (2013-07-26) [1]
Running time
88 minutes
Countries
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.9 million [2]

Stranded is a 2013 science fiction-horror film directed and co-written by Roger Christian and Christian Piers Betley (writer/producer) starring Christian Slater, Brendan Fehr, Amy Matysio, and Michael Therriault. Astronauts who are stranded on a lunar mining base attempt to survive an attack by shapeshifting alien life forms. Filming was at the Canada Saskatchewan Production Studios by Regina, Saskatchewan based Minds Eye Entertainment. [3] [4] The film was one of the last financed by the province's cancelled film employment tax credit and was produced entirely in Saskatchewan. [5] [6]

Contents

Plot

Four isolated astronauts in the lunar mining base Ark suffer a meteor storm. While inspecting the damage caused by the meteors, astronaut Ava Cameron discovers spores contained in one of the fragments and brings them back to the base for investigation.

The medical officer discovers that these spores can grow rapidly, and in the process Ava is contaminated with them. Shortly afterward, Ava shows evident signs of a rapidly progressing pregnancy and, a few hours later, she goes into labour. The life form escapes the lab, and none of the others believe Ava's stories; they instead attribute her pregnancy to a cyst. The alien stalks crew member Johns, eventually taking his shape and killing him. Using notes posthumously left by Johns, Ava and Col. Brauchman attempt to kill the alien before it can kill them. It is discovered that the Johns alien and Ava can sense and locate each other. The Johns alien sabotages the air system, attempting to collapse the air system to kill off the remaining three humans. While attempting to fix the air system, Dr. Krauss is killed when the Johns alien opens an airlock on him. Using Johns's notes that the alien may be easier to kill while human, Ava and Brauchman decide to prep the escape pod and leave the Johns alien to die of the rising carbon monoxide. As the carbon monoxide levels get to 80%, the Johns alien develops growths that enable it to survive. Ava and Brauchman prepare to abandon the base in an escape pod, but it is hijacked by the Johns alien. Brauchman sends a message to Earth from the rescue ship, warning them to kill whatever they discover in the escape pod. Ava and Brauchman, having expended most of the base's remaining power to ready the escape pod, are resigned to their fates. At the moment they accept their fate, a rescue ship arrives from Earth; with their remaining oxygen running out, they choose to run to the rescue shuttle.

The escape pod lands on Earth but it's revealed that the alien has already escaped and it is continuing to evolve.

Cast

Release

Stranded was released on 26 July 2013. [1] It was released on home video on 27 August 2013, [7] and made $1,733,694 on US video sales. [2]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 0% of 15 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating was 3/10. [8] Metacritic rated it 27/100 based on 11 reviews. [9] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times called it "decently made and acted" but too derivative of Alien . [10] Ernest Hardy of The Village Voice called it "more tedious than scary". [11] William Harrison of DVD Talk rated it 2/5 stars and called it "an unremarkable rehash of classic sci-fi movies". [12] Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film "stops at being merely seriously dull and trite, rather than tipping into train-wreck silliness." [13] Justin Chang of Variety called the film a "blandly competent, thoroughly forgettable low-budget sci-fi thriller assembled from the stray parts of countless other, better movies." [14] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that it "offers neither originality nor thrills." [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Ripley</span> Fictional character in the Alien franchise

Ellen Louise Ripley, often referred to simply as Ripley, is a fictional character and protagonist of the Alien film series, played by American actress Sigourney Weaver. The character earned Weaver worldwide recognition, and the role remains her most famous to date. Ridley Scott, director of the first film in the series, Alien, made the decision early in production to switch Ripley from a standard male action hero to a heroine.

<i>Lifeforce</i> (film) 1985 British science fiction horror film by Tobe Hooper

Lifeforce is a 1985 science fiction horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, adapted by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby, and starring Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Mathilda May, and Patrick Stewart. Based on Colin Wilson's 1976 novel The Space Vampires, the film portrays the events that unfold after a trio of humanoids in a state of suspended animation are brought to Earth after being discovered in the hold of an alien space ship by the crew of a European Space Shuttle.

<i>The Astronauts Wife</i> 1999 film by Rand Ravich

The Astronaut's Wife is a 1999 American science fiction thriller film directed and written by Rand Ravich, in his feature directorial debut. It stars Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron.

<i>Moontrap</i> 1989 film by Robert Dyke

Moontrap is an American 1989 science fiction film produced by Magic Films. Written by Tex Ragsdale and directed by Robert Dyke, it was released on April 28 at WorldFest Houston. A comic book adaptation, featuring the film's production notes, was released in the same year by Caliber Comics. The cast features Walter Koenig and Bruce Campbell as modern-day astronauts, with Leigh Lombardi as an ancient astronaut from a forgotten human civilization. They face an alien invasion by a race of predatory cyborgs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Matysio</span> Canadian actress

Amy Matysio is a Canadian theatre, television and film actress.

<i>DeepStar Six</i> 1989 American science-fiction horror film by Sean S. Cunningham

DeepStar Six is a 1989 American science-fiction horror film about the struggles of the crew of an underwater military outpost to defend their base against the attacks of a sea monster. It was released in January 1989. The film's main actors and supporting players included Greg Evigan, Taurean Blacque, Nancy Everhard, Cindy Pickett, Miguel Ferrer, Nia Peeples, and Matt McCoy.

<i>The Thing</i> (2011 film) 2011 American science fiction horror film by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

The Thing is a 2011 American science fiction horror film directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., written by Eric Heisserer, and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Eric Christian Olsen. It is a direct prequel to the 1982 film of the same name by John Carpenter, which was an adaptation of the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell. It tells the story of a team of scientists on a Norwegian Antarctic research station who discover a parasitic alien buried deep in the ice, realizing too late that it is still alive.

<i>The Darkest Hour</i> (film) 2011 science fiction action film by Chris Gorak

The Darkest Hour is a 2011 science fiction action film directed by Chris Gorak from a screenplay by Jon Spaihts and produced by Timur Bekmambetov. The film stars Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella, Olivia Thirlby, Rachael Taylor, and Joel Kinnaman as a group of people caught in an alien invasion. The film was released on December 25, 2011 in the United States, and grossed $65 million on a $35 million budget.

<i>Absolutely Anything</i> 2015 British science fantasy comedy film

Absolutely Anything is a 2015 British science fantasy comedy film directed by Terry Jones, and written by Terry Jones and Gavin Scott. It stars Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Rob Riggle, Eddie Izzard and Joanna Lumley, with the nonhuman characters' voices provided by John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Jones, Michael Palin and Robin Williams. It was the first movie to feature all living Monty Python members since Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), and the first without Graham Chapman, who died in 1989. Principal photography and production began on March 24, 2014, and ended on May 12 of that same year. The film was released in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2015 by Lionsgate UK and was released in the United States on May 12, 2017, grossing $6.3 million worldwide.

<i>Young Ones</i> (film) 2014 film

Young Ones is a 2014 action science fiction film directed and written by Jake Paltrow. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning, Michael Shannon and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on 18 January 2014. The film was released on 17 October 2014 in the United States.

<i>WolfCop</i> 2014 Canadian film

WolfCop is a 2014 Canadian comedy horror film written and directed by Lowell Dean, and starring Jesse Moss, Amy Matysio, Jonathan Cherry, Sarah Lind, Aidan Devine, Corrine Conley and Leo Fafard. The film's plot concerns an alcoholic small town cop who transforms into a werewolf after being cursed; he still possesses his human intelligence in wolf form and continues his work as a police officer even in wolf form.

<i>Stasis</i> (video game) 2015 video game

Stasis is a 2015 science fiction horror point-and-click adventure game developed by The Brotherhood. Viewed from an isometric perspective, the game requires interactions with computers, combining items and puzzle solving. The game was released on 31 August 2015 for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, with Linux and mobile devices planned for future release.

<i>Life</i> (2017 film) 2017 US science fiction horror film by Daniel Espinosa

Life is a 2017 American science fiction horror film directed by Daniel Espinosa, written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and starring an ensemble cast consisting of Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare and Olga Dihovichnaya. In the film, a six-member crew of the International Space Station uncovers the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. When members of the crew conduct their research, the rapidly evolving life-form proves to be far more intelligent and terrifying than expected.

<i>Alien: Out of the Shadows</i>

Alien: Out of the Shadows is a 2014 novel written by Tim Lebbon and published by Titan Books. Set between Alien and Aliens, the book chronicles Ellen Ripley's involvement in a Xenomorph outbreak on the planet LV-178 and the mining vessel in orbit above it. The survivors' attempts to escape the creatures are further complicated by Ash, whose A.I. consciousness has survived inside Narcissus, the shuttle that brought Ripley to them.

<i>The First</i> (TV series) 2018 British-American TV drama series

The First is an American-British science fiction drama television series, about a team of astronauts who prepare to become the first humans to visit Mars. It was created by Beau Willimon and stars an ensemble cast including Sean Penn, Natascha McElhone, LisaGay Hamilton, Hannah Ware, Keiko Agena, Rey Lucas, James Ransone, Anna Jacoby-Heron, Brian Lee Franklin, Oded Fehr, Norbert Leo Butz, Annie Parisse, Melissa George, Jeannie Berlin, and Bill Camp.

<i>Another Life</i> (2019 TV series) American sci-fi television series

Another Life is an American science fiction drama television series created by Aaron Martin, which premiered on Netflix on July 25, 2019. The series stars Katee Sackhoff, Selma Blair, Justin Chatwin, Samuel Anderson, Elizabeth Ludlow, Blu Hunt, A.J. Rivera, Alexander Eling, Alex Ozerov, Jake Abel, JayR Tinaco, Lina Renna, Jessica Camacho, Barbara Williams, Parveen Dosanjh, Greg Hovanessian, Chanelle Peloso, and Tyler Hoechlin. In October 2019, the series was renewed for a second season, which was released on October 14, 2021. Netflix announced it had canceled the series in February 2022.

<i>SuperGrid</i> (film) 2018 Canadian film

SuperGrid is a 2018 Canadian post-apocalyptic road film directed by Lowell Dean, who previously directed horror-comedies WolfCop and Another WolfCop. The film stars Leo Fafard, Marshall Williams, Natalie Krill, Jonathan Cherry, Amy Matysio and Jay Reso.

<i>Sputnik</i> (film) 2020 Russian science fiction horror film

Sputnik is a 2020 Russian science-fiction horror film directed by Egor Abramenko in his feature directorial debut. It stars Oksana Akinshina as a young doctor who is recruited by the Soviet military to assess a cosmonaut who survived a mysterious space accident and returned to Earth with a dangerous organism living inside him. Alongside Akinshina, the film's cast includes Pyotr Fyodorov and Fyodor Bondarchuk.

<i>65</i> (film) 2023 American film

65 is a 2023 American science fiction film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Adam Driver stars as a space pilot who crashes on an unknown planet and attempts to escape while surviving with a young girl, played by Ariana Greenblatt. Beck and Woods produced with Sam Raimi, Deborah Liebling, and Zainab Azizi.

Scavengers Reign is an American adult animated science fiction drama television series created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner for Max, based on their 2016 short film Scavengers. HBO Max announced the series in June 2022, and its 12-episode first season premiered on October 19, 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 Miska, Brad (10 June 2013). "Christian Slater's 'Stranded' Has A Trailer, Poster And Release Date!". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Stranded". The Numbers . Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  3. "Christian Slater to shoot science-fiction thriller in Regina". Toronto Star . 30 May 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  4. Lederman, Marsha (27 June 2012). "Producers abandoning Saskatchewan as tax credit ends". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  5. Graney, Emma (26 July 2012). "Saskatchewan's last big film?". Saskatoon StarPhoenix . Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  6. McDonald, Alyssa (27 June 2013). "Regina-made sci-fi film premiers". Metro Regina. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  7. Squires, John (31 July 2013). "Prepare to Get Stranded at Home with Christian Slater". Dread Central . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  8. "Stranded". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  9. "Stranded". Metacritic . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  10. Genzlinger, Neil (25 July 2013). "Those Female Astronauts, Always Being Impregnated by Aliens". The New York Times . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  11. Hardy, Ernest (24 July 2013). "Not Even Christian Slater Can Save Tedious Sci-fi Bomb Stranded". The Village Voice . Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  12. Harrison, William (27 August 2013). "Stranded". DVD Talk . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  13. Abele, Robert (24 July 2013). "Review: 'Stranded' somewhere between good and not bad enough". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  14. Chang, Justin (26 July 2013). "Film Review: 'Stranded'". Variety . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  15. DeFore, John (26 July 2013). "Stranded: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 16 December 2013.