I must admit, it’s been almost a decade since I’ve paid much attention to anything released from the SyFy Channel. In fact, it was when the network still went by Sci-Fi. I cringe when I see it written the way it is now. Smart marketing decision aside – to make the name original so it can be copyrighted – I still think of how the term “sci-fi” was coined by the late Forrest J. Ackerman, and obviously he never had it copyrighted. A big part of me actually wishes he had. But here we are now. Hundreds of movies later about sharks that are ghosts and yawn-inducing movies about monsters that are a combination of two or more animals – oh like Piranhaconda for example. SyFy Films has gotten into the business of producing original content for theatrical and digital release. Its first release was something featuring comedian Dane Cook called 400 Days. I missed that one. That was January of 2016. Strangely enough, the second release comes a little over a year later, but right now in select theaters and available for download in Digital HD and for rent on VOD, SyFy Films gives you Atomica. And guess what? It’s actually kinda okay.
The film opens with convincing advertisement for a company called Auxilisun. The ad provides the back story and lets us know it’s the future and Auxilisun powers everything with nuclear energy. Abby is a pretty young woman, who works for Auxilisun. She receives word that one of their facilities out in the middle of nowhere isn’t functioning properly, so she sets out to fix it. When she arrives, she is met by the hostile and jumpy Robinson (played by Dominic Monaghan of Lost and Lord of the Rings). Robinson informs her that the only other occupant of the facility, Dr. Zek, had suffered a psychotic break and wandered off outside and hasn’t been seen since. Now Abby not only has to get the facility running again, she has to figure out if Robinson can be trusted and where the heck Dr. Zek went.
This is absolutely minimalist science fiction. The story is pretty straightforward. The production is adequate, but on the cheap side. What really makes it worth watching are the performances from Dominic Monaghan, Sarah Habel as Abby and Tom Sizemore as Dr. Zek (Yes, he does turn up eventually.) I could see Tom Sizemore filling the obligatory Lance Henriksen role in these cheap genre movies eventually. He has the same ability to elevate something unwatchable into something watchable.
Atomica is absolutely watchable, dare I say even entertaining. It may be too slow and too predictable for some, but the set design and atmosphere will hold the interest of others. The film has the ever present feeling of familiarity and it’s pretty easy to figure out what’s happening from the start. The Auxilisun facility has a haunted house in space feel to it, complete with long dark hallways – and the bats are a really nice touch.
Okay, so I know I mentioned that this is actually playing in theaters, but I wouldn’t rush right out to see it on a big screen. This one is just fine for at home viewing. If you’re a science fiction junky or a big fan of Tom Sizemore, I would make some popcorn and watch this on VOD. But if you can wait a little longer, I would not be surprised if this airs on the SyFy Channel before the end of the year. Don’t quote me on that, I have no knowledge of such things. It’s just a hunch, or maybe even a slightly educated guess.
Atomica is available now on VOD and Digital HD from SyFy Films.