movie reviews scorched earth

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, scorched earth.

Now streaming on:

Thanks to the enormous success of such films as “ Wonder Woman ” and the recent entries in the “ Star Wars ” franchise, Hollywood seems to at long last be learning that big-scale genre films can be centered on female characters and still do exceedingly well at the box office. The immediate effects of this belated realization—ranging from the increasingly impotent whining from fragile fanboys threatened by such developments, to Marvel finally moving forward with a long-overdue Black Widow standalone feature—have been salutary, to be sure. With any luck, however, perhaps this recent discovery that, to quote Danny Trejo in “Anchorman,” “Ladies can do stuff now,” will finally inspire the industry as a whole to get off its collective duff and at long last give Gina Carano something worthy to do.

Carano, you will recall, was the former mixed martial artist whom Steven Soderbergh picked to star in his quirky 2011 thriller “ Haywire .” Admittedly, she was not exactly the most polished actress imaginable but her palpable screen charisma helped her hold her own against the likes of Michael Fassbender , Antonio Banderas , Ewan McGregor and Michael Douglas in the dramatic scenes, and her undeniable physical presence allowed her to utterly dominate the more action-heavy elements. It seemed as if a star had been born but the industry didn’t quite seem to know what to do with her. Instead of becoming the female equivalent of Dwayne “ The Rock ” Johnson, her subsequent film career saw her either get lost in the shuffle in the large-scale likes of “ Fast & Furious 6 ” and “ Deadpool ” or in instantly forgettable VOD fodder that make equally little use of her talents.

You do not need to be much of a student of the cinematic arts to figure out which category her latest film, “Scorched Earth,” fits into. This is a cheap and uninspired hybrid of the post-apocalyptic action thriller and Western genres that feels like it could have been made a quarter-century ago without any significant difference in the end product. This one is set in a not-too-distant future where Earth has been nearly destroyed by global warming and the few survivors struggle to make a new life in a world where water filters and powdered silver (used for the needed air filters) are the most valuable of commodities. Carano plays Atticus Gage, a bad-ass bounty hunter who tracks down “eco-criminals” guilty of crimes such as driving the few remaining gas-guzzlers. One day, Atticus learns of a compound filled to the brim with criminal types and led by the power-hungry Thomas Jackson ( Ryan Robbins ), all of whom each have huge bounties on them. Thanks to a vague resemblance to a notorious criminal type that she has just killed, Atticus hits upon a plan to gain entrance to the compound, gain Jackson’s trust and then take him down for the reward. This mission starts off easily enough but is soon complicated by the suspicions of Jackson’s right-hand man ( Dean S. Jagger ) and the presence of Jackson’s girlfriend ( Stephanie Bennett ), who reminds Atticus of her own sister, whom she lost years ago when she was kidnapped by ... ah, you’ll figure it out.

The end result is pretty much what you might expect—a work so desultory that you wonder how all involved managed to work up the energy and enthusiasm to make it to the set each day. It is hard to decide what is more threadbare—the screenplay that consists entirely of elements lifted wholesale from other and better films or the sets that are so tacky-looking that even Roger Corman might have suggested a modest upgrade in cost and quality. If forced to choose, I would have to go with the former because there is not a single flash of inspiration to be had from writers Kevin Leeson and Bobby Mort , whose combined credits run the gamut from “Mongolian Death Worm” to “The Colbert Report.” Take the bad guy—the singular element that most films of this sort live or die upon. Here, our villain is as resolutely non-menacing as can be—he claims to be inspired by the example of Simon Bolivar but more closely recalls a lower-rent version of the bad guy from that other redoubtable post-apocalyptic/Western hybrid, “ The Postman .” As for the action beats, they are about as gripping and exciting as one might expect when entrusting a film of this type to the like of Peter Howitt , the auteur of such white-knuckle cinema as “ Sliding Doors ,” “AntiTrust” and “ Johnny English .”

As for Carano, she is, inevitably, the only interesting thing about “Scorched Earth.” But not even her efforts amount to much in the end—how much difference can one person with their star presence and physical skills make in the service of a screenplay, director and supporting cast that fail to make any real use of them? Watching her is fun for a little bit, but seeing her talents thoroughly wasted becomes more depressing than anything else. 

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around  bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

Now playing

The Last Breath

Glenn kenny.

The Vourdalak

Tomris laffly.

It Ends with Us

Marya e. gates.

Green Border

Godfrey cheshire.

Customs Frontline

Simon abrams.

Great Absence

Brian tallerico, film credits.

Scorched Earth (2018)

Rated R for violence and some language.

Gina Carano as Gage

John Hannah as Doc

Ryan Robbins as Thomas Jackson

Dean S. Jagger as Lear

Alisha Newton as Beatrice

Stephanie Bennett as Melena

Patrick Sabongui as Womack

• Peter Howitt
• Kevin Leeson

Cinematographer

• Kamal Derkaoui
• Richard Schwadel
• Rich Walters

Latest blog posts

The Fairy Tale Shoes: Interview With the Cast and Crew of Cuckoo

On the Trail: India Donaldson on Good One

The Texture of Night: How Collateral Revolutionized Movies

SDCC 2024: Activations, Apes and Other Animals

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 78% Cuckoo Link to Cuckoo
• 97% Dìdi Link to Dìdi
• 96% Good One Link to Good One

New TV Tonight

• 61% The Umbrella Academy: Season 4
• 100% Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 1
• 88% Mr. Throwback: Season 1
• -- Dance Moms: A New Era: Season 1
• -- Blue Ribbon Baking Championship: Season 1
• -- Love Is Blind: UK: Season 1
• -- The Mallorca Files: Season 3
• -- Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth?: Season 1
• -- PD True: Season 1
• -- Yo Gabba GabbaLand!: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 83% A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Season 1
• 95% Batman: Caped Crusader: Season 1
• 78% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 84% House of the Dragon: Season 2
• 100% Supacell: Season 1
• 100% Women in Blue: Season 1
• 78% Presumed Innocent: Season 1
• 77% Lady in the Lake: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• 95% Batman: Caped Crusader: Season 1 Link to Batman: Caped Crusader: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

50 Best 1980s Cult Movies & Classics

Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Everything We Saw at Disney’s 2024 D23 Entertainment Showcase

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

• Trending on RT
• Most Anticipated Movies
• Star Wars Movies & TV
• Upcoming Marvel
• Movies on Disney+

Scorched Earth Reviews

Gina Carano wielding a crossbow in a low-budget DTV post-apocalyptic joint. That's all you need to know.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Jul 1, 2020

Bolstered by a strong lead performance from Carano, great action set pieces, and impressive world-building, this is one action-thriller that delivers on both of those fronts.

Full Review | May 21, 2018

Gina Carano roams a mild yet tedious postapocalyptic wasteland as a bounty hunter, and either you are here for this lady badass of our feminazi dreams, or you are not.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Feb 6, 2018

Watching [Carano] is fun for a little bit, but seeing her talents thoroughly wasted becomes more depressing than anything else.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Feb 2, 2018

"Scorched Earth" is the sort of divertingly hokey post-apocalyptic B-movie that would have amused undiscriminating Blockbuster Video renters a generation ago, and now might pass muster as the pilot for a weekly SyFy series.

Full Review | Feb 2, 2018

[T]here's so much more the screenplay by Kevin Leeson and Bobby Mort could be doing with this world.

The result is a film that plainly falls short of its goals.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 2, 2018

A decent premise - and a game Gina Carano - get left in the dust kicked up by "Scorched Earth," a dull, draggy post-apocalyptic western set in the not-too-distant, environmentally toxic future.

Full Review | Feb 1, 2018

Post-apocalyptic westerns don't come much more lethargic and unoriginal than this B-movie.

Howitt loses the battle with his limited budget and inexperience with B-movie ruin, keeping the end of the world flavorless, anticlimactic, and wasteful with the few good ideas that pop up as the story unfolds.

Full Review | Original Score: D+ | Feb 1, 2018

Hell, for Gina Carano, would be a film future of no-budget D-grade sci-fi like this

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Jan 31, 2018

Film Review: ‘Scorched Earth’

Peter Howitt's post-apocalyptic Western gives Gina Carano the opportunity to ride tall and shoot straight.

By Joe Leydon

Film Critic

• ‘Heart Strings’ Review: Schmaltzy Musical Drama About a Rigged Reality Show Is Pleasant but Predictable 1 month ago
• ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ Review: Lavish Tollywood Sci-Fi Epic Is an Unabashedly Derivative Spectacle 1 month ago
• ‘Ride’ Review: A Texas Rodeo Family Turns to Crime to Fund a Young Girl’s Cancer Treatment 2 months ago

Equal parts 1960s-style Spaghetti Western pastiche and ’80s-style “Mad Max” knockoff, “Scorched Earth” is the sort of divertingly hokey post-apocalyptic B-movie that would have amused undiscriminating Blockbuster Video renters a generation ago, and now might pass muster as the pilot for a weekly SyFy series.

Former MMA pugilist Gina Carano , who earned her spurs as an action hero in Steven Soderbergh’s “Haywire,” is well cast as a formidable femme variation on Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name bounty hunter. And the film itself strikes so many echoes of “A Fistful of Dollars,” it conceivably could inspire a new drinking game among genre aficionados: Each time you view an image, or hear a line, reminiscent of the Sergio Leone classic, it’s time to down a shot of whiskey. Yee-haw.

Directed by Peter Howitt (whose debut feature, “Sliding Doors” (1998), remains an unfulfilled promise) and scripted by Bobby Mort and Kevin Leeson, “Scorched Earth” is set somewhere near the midpoint of the 21 st century, after ecological upheavals have wiped out huge swathes of the world’s population, and left survivors chronically dependent on masks filtered with powdered silver to breathe the polluted air.

Related Stories

Hollywood must define ai technical standards to prep for its future    , the playmaker partners with uta to handle sales of locarno, sxsw title 'sew torn' (exclusive).

Anyone still driving fossil fuel-burning vehicles is considered an outlaw, wanted dead or alive. Attica Gage (Carano) makes her living bringing varmints to justice, one way or the other. But when she sets her sights on Jackson (Ryan Robbins), a smug Wild West-style town boss who wants to employ slave labor in a silver mine, she’s motivated less by bounty collecting than score settling.

Popular on Variety

Carano rides tall, figuratively as well as literally, and shoots straight in a retro-futuristic world where heroes travel on horseback, wagon trains are equipped with machine-gun turrets, and smooth-talking bad guys cheat at poker in saloons that employ sad-eyed songbirds as performers and fringe benefits. John Hannah provides moral support and, when necessary, life-supporting assistance as Doc, Gage’s mentor and occasional sidekick. His spiritedly sarcastic give-and-take with Carano suggests that, if this VOD-ready B-movie really did spawn a SyFy series, the show might be worth sporadic binge viewing, to savor their bickering as father figure and problem child.

“Am I dead?” she asks after being stuffed into a coffin and tossed off a cliff. “Not anymore,” he replies after nursing her back to health. So, of course, she continues her ride down the vengeance trail. Because, hey, a woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do.

Reviewed online, Houston, Feb. 1, 2018. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 94 MIN.

• Production: A Cinedigm release of a Lighthouse Pictures production, in association with Okanagan Media. Producers: Jamie Goehring, Kevin Leeson. Executive producers: Shawn Williamson, Robert Halmi Jr., Daniel Zirilli.
• Crew: Director: Peter Howitt. Screenplay: Bobby Mort, Kevin Leeson. Camera (color): Kamal Derkaoui. Editor: Richard Schwadel. Music: Rich Walters.
• With: Gina Carano, Ryan Robbins, John Hannah, Dean S. Jagger, Patrick Sabongui, Stephanie Bennett, Patrick Gilmore, Luvia Petersen.

More from Variety

Locarno’s match me projects feature steven bauer, alba flores, alfredo castro, ‘flow’ co-writer, life after ‘deadpool’: summer movies resurrection begs rethink of long-term box office outlook, lebanon civil war documentary ‘green line,’ competing at locarno, acquired by mad world (exclusive), locarno competition entry explores the impact on teenage girls of a ‘toxic’ culture: ‘i wanted to make this film very fleshy’, reality check: summer hot streak won’t dig u.s. box office out of deep hole in 2024, ‘transamazonia’ debuts trailer ahead of world premiere in competition at locarno film festival (exclusive), more from our brands, trump campaign says it was hacked, suggests iran was involved: report, this new show at monterey celebrates cars and hip-hop, france aims for record medal haul thanks to de gaulle’s disgust, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, has what if… sated our need for more peggy carter or further stoked it.

• COMING SOON
• OUT NOW - US
• COMING SOON - US

• COMPETITIONS

Eye For Film >> Movies >> Scorched Earth (2018) Film Review

Scorched earth.

Reviewed by: Jennie Kermode

Although there have been more than 30 Django films to date, with the legendary hero changing size, race and nationality on several occasions, there has never to date been a female Django. When Gage (Gina Carano) rides onto the screen in a wide-brimmed hat, dragging a coffin behind her horse, she's making quite a statement. Naturally, she's a bounty hunter (and there will be several more explicit Django references made later in the film), but this is not the usual North American wasteland. Rather, it's the product of an environmental catastrophe. Gage isn't looking for payment in gold - silver is the new currency, and for a very specific reason.

Silver is a natural antibacterial agent, and although it's not terribly efficient for use in air filters, it's the best the people of this post-Apocalyptic world have got. Without it, they scarcely dare to breathe - though Gage removes her mask for establishing shots and the few outdoor scenes where she's required to emote. More modern technologies are notably absent - people live in wooden buildings almost as crude as their attitude to women, defending themselves with shotguns and, with no sign of agriculture or serious industry, getting by through the barter of resources we can only assume will soon run out. In this context, Gage's nihilistic attitude to life makes complete sense. It's an attitude that changes, however, when she meets the man she believes to be responsible for killing her sister.

Once one strips away its future dystopian trappings, this is a fairly straightforward western focused on self-denial, revenge and the possibility of redemption. It even has a saloon scene in which the villain's girlfriend Melena (Stephanie Bennett) delivers a song far too good for the rest of the film. Despite the shortage of resources, said villain (Ryan Robbins) doesn't seem to struggle to maintain a small army, and can even afford slaves. Most obnoxiously, and in contravention of an agreement adhered to by pretty much all other survivors, he runs cars. He seems determined to attempt Mad Max bad guy status even in a film built around environmental horror.

This is a plot with some potential. The trouble is that it's the sort of plot that relies heavily on actors - we need to be convinced by their brooding resentment and thirst for justice or power - and, with the exception of John Hannah in a minor role, it doesn't really have them. Carano too often sounds as if she's simply reciting lines that need to carry meaning. Her physical presence is adequate (and doesn't fall short in a role originally written for a man), but she's seriously lacking in depth. Robbins doesn't have much to work with and struggles to make his off-the-shelf macho monster interesting.

The result is a film that plainly falls short of its goals. There's some interesting visual blending of different genre elements but nothing really original nor substantial enough to create a sense of purpose. The story is predictable and often lacks drive. It's far from the worst of its ilk but it just doesn't make much of an impression.

Director: Peter Howitt

Writer: Kevin Leeson, Bobby Mort

Starring: Gina Carano, John Hannah, Stephanie Bennett

Runtime: 104 minutes

Country: Canada, US

Search database:

• News & Features

Scorched Earth Movie

Who's Involved:

Gina Carano, Peter Howitt, Ryan Robbins, John Hannah

Release Date:

Friday, February 2, 2018 Limited

Plot: What's the story about?

The planet has suffered an environmental collapse; the air became dangerous to breathe, the water became toxic, and billions of people died. Generations later, mankind has finally re-established a rudimentary society, in an attempt to pick up the pieces that continue to blister in the sun. Attica Gage (Gina Carano) is a bounty hunter with a chance at the bounty of a lifetime: to bring down the ruthless outlaw, Elijah Jackson. Gage infiltrates Jackson’s gang, and everything is going to plan until she meets a slave girl who reminds her of her dead sister. With her loyalty to only herself now tested, Gage learns that there might be more to life than just survival.

from cinedigm.com

3.50 / 5 stars ( 4 users)

Poll: Will you see Scorched Earth?

Who stars in Scorched Earth: Cast List

Gina Carano

Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool  

John Hannah

Damaged, Overboard  

Ryan Robbins

The Shack, Dangerous  

Who's making Scorched Earth: Crew List

A look at the Scorched Earth behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director Peter Howitt last directed Reasonable Doubt and Laws of Attraction .

Peter Howitt

Screenwriters

Production Companies

Watch scorched earth trailers & videos.

No trailer available.

Production: What we know about Scorched Earth?

Filming timeline.

• 2017 - December : The film was set to Completed  status.

Scorched Earth Release Date: When was the film released?

Scorched Earth was a Limited release in 2018 on Friday, February 2, 2018 . There were 5 other movies released on the same date, including Winchester , The Cage Fighter and A Fantastic Woman . As a Limited release, Scorched Earth will only be shown in select movie theaters across major markets. Please check Fandango and Atom Tickets to see if the film is playing in your area.

Scorched Earth VOD & Digital: When was the film released digitally?

Scorched Earth was released across all major streaming and cable platforms on Friday, February 2 , 2018 . Digital rental or purchase allows you to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on your favorite devices. Available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Apple, Vudu and others.

Q&A Asked about Scorched Earth

Seen the movie? Rate It!

Advertisement

Follow the Updates

• Sun., Dec. 31, 2017 from cinedigm.com
• added action as genre
• set the MPAA rating to R for violence and some language
• added the US VOD release date of February 2, 2018
• added a poster to the gallery
• added a running time of 96 minutes
• added Peter Howitt as director to credits
• changed the US film release date from TBA to February 2, 2018
• set film release to Limited
• changed the production status to Completed
• added Cinedigm Entertainment Group as a distributor

Looking for more information on Scorched Earth?

Across the web.

• Get Tickets + Showtimes
• Get Digital Copy
• Buy on Amazon
• More Info on IMDb

Get the latest on upcoming movies before everyone else!

Scorched Earth (2018)

Stream & Watch Scorched Earth

Cast & Crew

Featured news.

Movie Details

Similar movies.

Movie Reviews

Follow Moviefone

Latest trailers.

BERLINALE 2024 Panorama

Review: Scorched Earth

by  Susanne Gottlieb

23/02/2024 - BERLINALE 2024: Thomas Arslan continues his crime saga about old-school gangster Trojan with a sleek, minimalistic follow-up to 2010’s In the Shadows

There is something about revisiting fictional characters as a filmmaker. What could have happened to them in the meantime? How have they developed as people? Trojan ( Mišel Matičević ), an old-school gangster and drifter, however, seems painfully the same since we last saw him in 2010’s In the Shadows   [ + see also: film review trailer interview: Thomas Arslan film profile ] . As a matter of fact, it is his environment upon his return to Berlin, after having been gone for a decade, that seems so out of tune. Crime has changed, it’s gone digital, or the gangsters of the bygone era have retired. But that won’t keep Trojan from seeking out another job – one that will hopefully prove successful after his failure in the prior movie.

The question of failing is a constant in this film series by German director Thomas Arslan , whose Scorched Earth   [ + see also: trailer interview: Thomas Arslan film profile ] has premiered at the 74th Berlinale , in the Panorama section. After all, the storytelling draws some inspiration from the minimalist crime flicks of French auteur Jean-Pierre Melville. After a job involving stealing expensive watches goes awry, and realising that physical goods don’t sell on the market any more, Trojan is in a pickle. Unwilling to go into cybercrime, the new gold standard, he is finally able to secure a job via his handler Rebecca ( Marie-Lou Sellem ). He, getaway driver Diana ( Marie Leuenberger ), his old acquaintance Luca ( Tim Seyfi ) and cyber expert Chris ( Bilge Bingül ) are tasked with stealing a painting by Caspar David Friedrich.

But while the job in itself, breaking into the depot where the painting is stored, is pretty straightforward, the politics behind it are not. The mysterious client, it turns out, has no interest in holding up his end of the bargain and paying the quartet. To make sure that the painting ends up in his lap and that none of the four will come after him, he sends out Victor ( Alexander Fehling ) to take care of his problem. A simple theft has now become a matter of life and death, while there’s also an effort to sell the painting to the highest bidder, so as to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

Another unagitated, slick piece of storytelling from Arslan, it makes the noisier, busier Hollywood heist movies look absurd. This is a run-of-the-mill job for these people. The suspense stems not from shootouts, car chases or physical fighting – although these feature too, of course – but rather from the eerie disorientation within this underworld of uneasy alliances, manipulation and lack of honourable intentions. The reduced scenery, the minimal exploration of the characters’ lives and the mundanity of daily life are typical of Arslan’s filmography. Having said that, this time, the characters are more engaging than in his last effort, Bright Nights   [ + see also: film review trailer Q&A: Thomas Arslan film profile ] , which lacked pacing, general direction and any glue holding it together.

Besides Matičević shining once again as the charismatic but enigmatic Trojan, it is Fehling’s smug Victor, Trojan’s counterpart in the story, who elevates the tale beyond its basic setup. Their final confrontation may be simple, but it’s effective – two different ideologies of crime and honour clashing with each other. The characters of Melville constantly had to deal with the challenges of friendship, trust, loneliness and betrayal. These narrative elements can also be found in Scorched Earth . Arslan understands how to handle these basic human conflicts, while also knowing how to keep his audience engaged right up until the final minute.

Scorched Earth was produced by Germany’s Schramm Film Koerner & Weber and is sold internationally by The Match Factory .

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

more about: Scorched Earth

Interview: Thomas Arslan • Director of Scorched Earth

"I love the heist genre, it gives you the opportunity to show people doing a very interesting work"

BERLINALE 2024: The German filmmaker analyses his latest film, a new entry in his crime saga centred on Berliner gangster Trojan, played by Mišel Matičević   

BERLINALE 2024: Thomas Arslan continues his crime saga about old-school gangster Trojan with a sleek, minimalistic follow-up to 2010’s In the Shadows    

23/02/2024 | Berlinale 2024 | Panorama

The Match Factory rocks up to the Berlinale with four aces up its sleeve

The German sales agent brings a quartet of titles to Berlin – one playing in Competition, one in Panorama and two documentaries for the European Film Market   

23/01/2024 | Berlinale 2024 | EFM

The Panorama strand of the Berlinale to open with Levan Akin’s Crossing

This year’s programme, now unveiled in full, aims to explore “the world around us, shaped by global crises, wars and social divisions”   

17/01/2024 | Berlinale 2024

related news

10/08/2024 Locarno 2024 – Piazza Grande

Review: Mexico 86

10/08/2024 Locarno 2024 – Competition

Review: Drowning Dry

10/08/2024 Locarno 2024 – Semaine de la Critique

Review: The Deposition

Review: The Sparrow in the Chimney

09/08/2024 Locarno 2024 – Semaine de la Critique

Review: A Sisters’ Tale

09/08/2024 Locarno 2024 – Out of Competition

Review: Fréwaka

Privacy Policy

Copyright Disclaimer

The images used on this website have been provided by journalists and are believed to be free of rights. However, if you are the owner of an image used on this website and believe that its use infringes on your copyright, please contact us immediately. We will remove the image in question as soon as possible. We have made reasonable efforts to ensure that all images used on this website are used legally and in accordance with copyright laws.

About us | Contact us | Logos and Banners

Mission |  Partners |  Team |  Participate |  Donations |  Terms and conditions

• Movie Reviews
• Blu-ray/DVD

Friday, May 10, 2024

Siff 2024: 'scorched earth' movie review.

Scorched Earth desperately wants to be a Michael Mann-esque crime saga about outlaws with a moral code; tough, desperate men pushed to extremes; a slow-burn of escalating pressure from all sides, betrayals and double crosses and all the neo-noir trappings. (Seriously, it lifts the climax straight from Heat .) On its face, it apes that style, with a shady underworld, shadowy pasts, oblique motives, and all the rest. 

[Related Reading: 'The Last Stop in Yuma County' Movie Review]

The problem is, it only hits on the surface level and the result plays like a movie simply going through the motions. They case the joint, hatch a plan, encounter speed bumps, have to improvise on the fly; you’ve seen this many times before. There’s no authentic dramatic tension, between the gang of thieves, their adversaries, or even when the job goes to hell. None of the characters are memorable in any way. Diana (Marie Leuenberger), the crew’s driver, comes closest, only to be sidelined by the script. Trojan himself is so tight-lipped and stingy with his backstory and personality traits as to be almost a nonentity. Instead of being mysterious and intriguing, he’s barely a crook-shaped man doing what crooks do in movies like this. The primary antagonist, Victor (Alexander Fehling), the enforcer for a barely-there big boss who only shows up once, has a few fun moments where he gets to chew on the scenery, but that’s all. 

Scorched Earth isn’t a terrible movie, but it’s not an interesting one either. It’s never particularly engaging or propulsive, it meanders along without ever driving home the stakes, uses the standard crime movie blue/gray color palette, spends so much time brooding in cars, and concludes with more or less a shrug. It honestly doesn’t even feel interested in itself. [Grade: C]

Find all our 2024 Seattle International Film Festival coverage here.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

Scorched earth, verbrannte erde.

Directed by Thomas Arslan

Professional criminal Trojan returns to Berlin in search of a new job after a failed coup. He cannot refuse the lucrative offer of a painting theft. But the meticulously planned action soon gets out of hand and it's all about survival.

Mišel Matičević Marie Leuenberger Alexander Fehling Bilge Bingul Holger Doellmann Hannah Schutsch Anja Schneider Leonard Proxauf Katrin Röver Tamer Yiğit

Director Director

Thomas Arslan

Producer Producer

Anton Kaiser

Writer Writer

Casting casting.

Ulrike Müller

Editor Editor

Reinaldo Pinto Almeida

Cinematography Cinematography

Reinhold Vorschneider

Assistant Director Asst. Director

Lukas Hofmann

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Matthias Ruppelt

Lighting Lighting

Bene Nordenskjöld

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Raymond Kesting

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Christian Passeri Maximilian Büge Justin Konetzke

Production Design Production Design

Reinhild Blaschke

Stunts Stunts

Heiko Kiesow Stephan Thiede

Sound Sound

Andreas Mücke-Niesytka

Makeup Makeup

Nina Düffort

Schramm Film

Alternative Titles

焦土, 그을린 땅, 焦土僵局

Crime Thriller

Releases by Date

20 feb 2024, 14 jun 2024, 05 jul 2024, 18 aug 2024, 18 jul 2024, releases by country.

• Premiere Shanghai International Film Festival
• Premiere Berlin International Film Festival
• Theatrical 12

South Korea

• Premiere 15 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
• Premiere Taoyuan Film Festival

101 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by shookone ★★★½

Thomas Arslan's straight, grim and unadorned Verbrannte Erde is basically a Michael Mann movie shot in Berlin, without any frills, excessiveness and saturation. it's anti-stylization cinema, as homage to a town that is plain, rugged and ugly.

you could also call it an Anti- Tatort , denying the characteristics of germany's most beloved television treasure, to the point of pure atmosphere and anti-narration. this is confrontational, because - different than in a refurbished cinema, let's take Drive as a point of reference - this is so sober, zestless and unembellished that any jouissance is quickly declined.

the brother and role model in mind would most likely be Walter Hill's The Driver . the techno-fetish isn't part of this equation, but the denial of conventions and anything outside of its hermetic world is at the very core of a film that defies the ill-logics of our national cinema.

Review by clemens_oskar ★★★★ 2

Berlinale 2024 - Panorama

So much has been said about the recurring disappointment of German genre cinema but this really is proof of what is possible when a German auteur takes over. Insanely on point from start to finish. I hope people will talk about it upon it's release in July.

Review by PowWow ★★★★½

Silent, deadly and pretty much perfect.

Review by Raphelpaff ★ 4

Vor über zehn Jahren habe ich das lineare Fernsehen hinter mir gelassen, um genau solche Filme nicht mehr sehen zu müssen. Uninspirierte Charaktere, der übliche einsame Wolf als Protagonist, hölzerne Dialoge, die sich anfühlen, als würde jemand Stichpunkte von einer Tafel ablesen und ein gähnend langweiliger Bösewicht. Ich mag den realistischen Ansatz, aber ehrlich gesagt ist jede Person in meinem Umfeld schlagfertiger als diese Truppe.

Die nächste Sneak-Vorstellung wird wieder gut, versprochen!

Review by Robert 🔪📼🩸 ★★★ 3

Die Stadt frisst ihre Kinder. Auf nassem Asphalt spiegelt sich die Silhouette einer anderen Seite Berlins, einer düsteren. Grelle Leuchtreklamen und Laternen strahlen hell in die allgegenwärtige Nacht hinein, vermögen aber nicht, die sie umgebende Dunkelheit zu erhellen. Verlassene Lagerhallen, unbeachtete Parkplätze, zwielichtige Hinterhöfe - von einem Milieu zu sprechen wäre ein Euphemismus, vielmehr zieht es einen in die vom Menschen zurückgelassenen Überbleibsel großstädtischer Zivilisation hinab. Am Ende spiegelt sich das Wesen der Figuren ausgerechnet im Design der title card: schillernd und extra cool nach außen, am Rand, klaffende Schwärze innen drin.

Blöd, oder nein, eher unbelohnend für diesen Film hier ist irgendwie nur, dass Hochhäusler mit Bis ans Ende der Nacht letztes Jahr bereits die noch feurigere, zerreißendere, leidenschaftlichere, grundlegend schmerzvollere Version von Verbrannte Erde veröffentlicht hat. Das nimmt ihm nichts von seiner Qualität, im direkten Vergleich wird letzterer von ersterem aber ganz eindeutig überschattet.

Review by Neidhammel ★★★½

Kino in der Stille. Arslans neuer Film trägt einen Bleimantel mit sich herum, der auch den Charakteren in ihrer etwas lebensüberdrüssigen Art obliegt. Eine Welt, in der die Arbeit die "Freizeit" nicht mehr verlassen kann. Die Architekturzeitungen müssen sterben.

Deutsche Speerspitze in so vielem.

Review by mitc ★★★★

Die nächsten Tage laufe ich durch eine andere Stadt. Wo das Aufflackern der Straßenlaternen noch einen Gezeitenwechsel ankündigt. Aus oberen Etagen stets beobachtende Blicke drohen. Leute nicht nur in Parkhäuser fahren, um dort zu parken. Man an der zwielichtigen Lagerhalle oder dem dunklen Parkplatz doch mal einen kleinen Schritt schneller geht. Wo es vielleicht doch noch Schusswaffen gibt, und das da gestern in der Straße des Nachts vielleicht doch kein Böller war, den man aufgeschreckt vernommen hat… Die Frage: „was wäre, wenn Trojan nach über einem Jahrzehnt in eine evolvierte Stadt mit veränderten Gefügen zurückkäme?“ drängt sich beim sehr unterkühlten und langsamen „Im Schatten“ gar nicht auf — umso erstaunlicher ist es, dass „Verbrannte Erde“ deutlich tiefer, rauer, spannender, ästhetisch…

Review by Binguswatcher ★½

Such a nothing movie. No personality. No character development. Builds up for 90 minutes to a single action scene and it’s incoherent and under-lit. Pretty and technically competent but I feel like it had nothing to say.

Review by Yannick ★★★★

Der Film zur Ausstellung (Caspar David Friedrich in der Alten Nationalgalerie).

Review by Trojan_Acces ★½ 1

Wirklich der Klischee-beladenste Unsinn, den ich seit Langem gesehen habe. Und ein weiterer Beweis dafür, wie sehr uns all die Jahre des Tatorts und Soko Schlag Mich Tot in Sachen Gangsterfilm runtergewirtschaftet haben.

Angefangen beim Plot, der simpler nicht sein könnte: Ein Kunstraub. Wie originell. Das ist wirklich schon alles, keine krassen Wendungen, einfach nur ein Kunstraub. Die Figuren sind direkt aus dem Gangsterfilm-Setzkasten entnommen, alle unterhalten sich ausschließlich in mit maximal gepresster Stimme vorgetragenen One-Liners, wärend sie mit strengem Blick in die Ferne gucken. Handlungen und "Twists" kann man schon kilometerweit gegen den Wind riechen, auch weil ihre Anbahnung auch jedes Mal so wunderbar deutsch auserzählt wird, damit auch ja niemand auf der Strecke bleibt.

Sorry, des' woar nix war des'.

Review by EudoraFletcher ★★★

About my 3rd visit to the cinema this year with my 81 year old mother 3 weeks after her second hip surgery (due to complications with the first one). My associations during the movie: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR8QxIgwinY But no!! SCORCHED EARTH doesn't take place in Vienna, but in Berlin... But while I sat in the cinema, the refrain "Haben Sie Berlin schon bei Nacht gesehen?" went through my head. Now I know it was the wrong song or the wrong city.

Admittedly, the (night) shots are quite good: boxd.it/j79eC

Probably an homage to Film Noir. (Which I´m no fan of)

Why is this movie even showing in cinemas?

Plot: An art theft in Berlin at night gets out of hand.

My mothers´ comment: I could have easily watched it on TV at some point.

Review by 🅺🅴🅽🅿🅱🅾🆆🅴🆂 ★★★★ 1

A big call, yes, but I reckon Director J-P Melville would give a bigger thumbs up to this Crime action movie simply for having a Lead Character named Trojan - who, incidentally, has to be almost too silently & smoothly Cool for any school (or screen) - in short, an Alpha to rival the best .

The tension is quietly ongoing from the start largely because of a near perfect Lead performance by Mišel Matičević with the Support Characters not only providing the necessary oomph & verve, but upping those Cool levels even higher by not resorting to the same old gimmickry & nonsense to tightly grasp the viewer’s attention.

Especially liked that the predictable path wasn't followed with a potential (& ideal) Love Interest - but hopefully this could be a future story strand for any sequel.

Included in the 2024 German Film Festival Program .

Related Films

Mentioned by

Select your preferred backdrop

Select your preferred poster.

Hunt: Showdown's tradition of dropping horrifying little freaks into the Wild West continues with the 'Hellborn,' a roaming fire demon that hurls molten lava balls

The Hellborn arrives alongside Hunt: Showdown 1896's Scorched Earth event on August 15.

A few weeks back on PC Gamer, Crytek debuted Hunt: Showdown's first new map in three years, Mammon's Gulch . We all had a good time taking in the sights of Hunt's vision of Colorado, a sun-baked mountain range with oil fields and an extensive mining operation, but Crytek was holding something back: There's a new wild target on the loose in Mammon's Gulch, and it's arriving alongside a new event called Scorched Earth.

That target is the Hellborn, a towering fire demon who wanders the map hurling balls of lava at hunters who dare provoke him. Crytek describes the Hellborn as an "amalgam of fire and flesh" who "moves frantically to slag trespassing Hunters, scorching everything in its considerable reach."

At a glance, the Hellborn looks like the meaner big brother of the Immolator, a low-level monster that poses no major threat as long as you don't pierce it with anything sharp. The Hellborn is a different story—taking a ranged position against hunters and lobbing lava balls that explode on impact and leave lingering fires. As a "wild target," it's considered a miniboss worth an extra bounty mark on top of the primary bounties.

According to Crytek, the Hellborn "can be tracked audibly by listening in Dark Sight." This is a notable change from Hunt's first wild target, the killer alligator Rotjaw, who can be tracked through special markers and alligator traps on the map. The Hellborn reveal trailer suggests the demon's location might also be telegraphed by the appearance of burnt trees near his lair.

Scorched Earth

The Hellborn is the centerpiece of Scorched Earth, Hunt's first seasonal event with its new 1896 tag. Crytek is doing things a little differently with challenges this time. Instead of assigning random challenges to individual players with a strict time limit, Crytek is adopting a similar model to Apex Legends or Fortnite, assigning everyone the same set of challenges every week that can be completed anytime throughout the season.

But the real meat of Hunt's seasonal events are pact traits, special perks that are activated by visiting supply points on the map.

The Wilderness Pact Traits

• Surefoot (new): Sprint with primed throwables or while using a First Aid Kit
• Beastface (conditional trait effect): Avoid triggering animals or breaking branches
• Frontiersman (conditional trait effect): Gain an extra Pledge Mark for the first 30 Event Points collected per Mission

The Lawful Pact Traits

• Peacekeeper: Restore an empty Health Chunk after looting a dead Hunter
• Packmule (conditional trait effect): Find extra ammo when looting dead Hunters
• Vigilant (conditional trait effect): Double the range of Dark Sight

The Demented Pact Traits

• Berserker: Boost melee damage
• Adrenaline (conditional trait effect): 25% speed boost for 20 seconds when at critical health
• Ghoul (conditional trait effect): Restore health when damaging a Boss Target or wild target

The Scorched Earth pact traits don't have the most dramatic effects I've seen, but if history is any indicator, Crytek will be monitoring how players use these traits and might adopt them permanently in Hunt. That "conditional trait effects" thing is confusing, but it basically means joining a pact upgrades that trait if you already have it. Beastface, for instance, usually makes it easier to sneak past noise-making animals, but with the upgrade, even branches won't break under your feet.

The Scorched Earth event begins, and the Hellborn comes to town, when the Hunt: Showdown 1896 update arrives on August 15. We'll have more to share about the update and the accompanying CryEngine 5.11 engine upgrade soon.

Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a freelancer and currently as a staff writer. He has also appeared on Polygon, Kotaku, Fanbyte, and PCGamesN. Before freelancing, he spent most of high school and all of college writing at small gaming sites that didn't pay him. He's very happy to have a real job now. Morgan is a beat writer following the latest and greatest shooters and the communities that play them. He also writes general news, reviews, features, the occasional guide, and bad jokes in Slack. Twist his arm, and he'll even write about a boring strategy game. Please don't, though.

A month on, Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail's endgame outshines its story

This new roguelike crosses Balatro with mahjong, and even just the demo is proving a grave threat to my free time

Olympic heroes like Noah Lyles are going for the only gold that matters: The one in League of Legends

Most Popular

• 2 Best RAM for gaming in 2024: I've tested the best DDR4 and DDR5 RAM to find the right kits for you
• 3 Best ultrawide monitor for gaming in 2024: the expansive panels I recommend for PC gamers
• 4 Best wireless gaming keyboard in 2024
• 5 Best gaming laptops in 2024: I've had my pick of portable powerhouses and these are the best
• 2 AMD Ryzen 7 9700X CPU review
• 3 AMD Ryzen 5 9600X CPU review
• 4 Elgato Key Light Neo review
• 5 Flexispot E2Q gaming desk review

• Cast & crew

Scorched Earth

After the apocalypse, all water is radioactive and deadly to drink. In this dystopian world, Gylian goes to extreme lengths to make sure her daughter gets the medication she needs to survive... Read all After the apocalypse, all water is radioactive and deadly to drink. In this dystopian world, Gylian goes to extreme lengths to make sure her daughter gets the medication she needs to survive. After the apocalypse, all water is radioactive and deadly to drink. In this dystopian world, Gylian goes to extreme lengths to make sure her daughter gets the medication she needs to survive.

• Joshua Morrison
• Jethro Randell
• Charlotte Elizzabeth Langley
• Lee Westwick
• Neil Sandland
• 3 Critic reviews

Top cast 21

• Oppenheimer

• Oppenheimer's Kid

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Director Joshua Morrison turned down an offer for a gig on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) due to it clashing with the principal photography of Scorched Earth.
• Soundtracks Scorched Earth Suite Written and Performed by Joshua Morrison

User reviews

• How long is Scorched Earth? Powered by Alexa
• August 19, 2023 (United States)
• United Kingdom
• Derby, Derbyshire, England, UK
• Morrison Productions
• Retro Gem Media
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 3 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie Saved From the WB Animation Scrap Heap

Ketchup entertainment ensures the day the earth blew up will get a theatrical release date..

Animation fans received some happy news today amid the bleakness of Warner Bros' continued animation cull as Ketchup Entertainment announced the acquisition of The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie's North American distribution rights.

The acquisition ensures that the new Looney Tunes film, which was screened as the the 2024 Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June, will make it into theatres amid continued uncertainly around Warner Bros' animation catalog.

“The Day the Earth Blew Up is a historical moment for the Looney Tunes franchise, and we are proud to be partnering with Warner Bros. Animation to bring this film to audiences theatrically. We cannot wait for audiences of all ages to experience one of the smartest animated films in recent years,” Ketchup Entertainment CEO Gareth West said in a statement.

We gave The Day the Earth Blew Up a positive review after its debut, writing, "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie has enough gags per minute to leave audiences short of breath with laughter, but also a big heart that shows why these characters are so beloved even after nearly 90 years. With crisp animation, some truly hilarious and bizarre gags, and a plot that hearkens back to 1950s sci-fi, this is the Looney Tunes movie fans have been waiting for."

The Biggest Movies Coming in 2024

The Day the Earth Blew Up was previously greenlit for Max but was subequently among Warner Bros' content write-offs. Nevertheless, Warner Bros. Animation was permitted to shop it elsewhere as production continued, with Ketchup Entertainment ultimately stepping in to help with distribution.

Other Looney Tunes films have been less fortunate. In 2023, Warner Bros. shelved Coyote vs Acme after failing to find a buyer , sparking widespread condemnation from animation enthusiasts. Cartoon Network is among the channels facing uncertainty as Warner Bros. continues as the company continues to struggle across the board .

For more, check out all the rest of the biggest movies coming out in 2024 .

Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

In This Article

Where to Watch

Not yet available for streaming.

IGN Recommends

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

Where Is Kelly Ripa? 'Live' Co-Host Missing From Today's Episode

11 Best New Movies on Netflix: August 2024's Freshest Films to Watch

'Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles' Star Josh Flagg Gives Update On His...

Kora's Scars in the 'Rebel Moon: Director's Cut' Sex Scenes Were Sofia...

11 Best New Shows on Netflix: August 2024's Top Upcoming Series to Watch

'RHONJ' Fans Slam Teresa Giudice's "Cruel" Husband Louie Ruelas For...

New On Netflix August 2024, Plus What’s Coming Next

New On Disney+ July 2024

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Wild Wild Space’ on Max, a Documentary Deep Dive Into the Private Commodification of Earth’s Orbit

Where to stream:.

• Wild Wild Space

Will The Failure of ‘Rebel Moon’ Earn Zack Snyder a Trip to Director’s Jail?

Stream it or skip it: ‘rebel moon part two: director’s cut’ on netflix, where zack snyder amplifies the violence on his way to the conclusion for his lengthy space epic , stream it or skip it: ‘rebel moon part one: director’s cut’ on netflix, zack snyder’s extra long take on his already unwieldy sci-fi epic, ‘rebel moon: director’s cut’ release date: when does ‘rebel moon: director’s cut’ come out on netflix.

The rock-solid consistency of HBO’s documentary features continues with Wild Wild Space ( now streaming on Max ), which follows three Idea Guys as they and their companies try to conquer the satellite-strewn realm of low Earth orbit. Director Ross Kauffman (Oscar winner for 2006 doc Born Into Brothels ) profiles Chris Kemp of Astra, Peter Beck of Rocket Lab and Will Marshall of Planet Labs, all of which are privately owned orgs operating in territory so new and innovative, there’s no governmental oversight telling them what they can and can’t do, hence the title of the movie. These scrappy little companies overtook NASA in terms of ambition and innovation, to the point where the governmental agency contracts them to launch satellites into orbit. Of course, there’s myriad implications to their endeavors, good and bad – and, inevitably, a bit terrifying.

WILD WILD SPACE : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Kemp is described as “Silicon Valley in human form,” which I’d translate to mean as “he’s probably Patrick Bateman.” We first meet him as the film crew hops in his car and he discloses that he has no driver’s license, no insurance and the car isn’t registered. “Most people are confused when you do illegal things,” he says. (He’s right: Is he such a “Silicon Valley disruptor”-slash-anarchist that he foregoes the very simple and relatively affordable task of driving a car legally? We’re left to ponder that.) We’ll follow Kemp over the course of a few years as he tries to make Astra – one of his career’s many entrepreneurial startups – a competitor of Elon Musk’s Space X in the realm of non-governmental space exploration. By the end of the doc, his hair will be significantly grayer. 

Kemp is a cocky, high-energy, positive-spin-jockey capitalist who struggles mightily over the course of this movie – his rockets keep blowing up, he finally gets one in orbit, then the next one crashes, and the company’s stock shares follow suit. Amusingly, he’s longtime friends with one of his key competitors: He and Marshall met while in college. Kemp is about moneymoneymoney and successsuccesssuccess while Marshall is a hippie nerd with environmental-stewardship goals. Marshall formed Planet Labs to gather data on climate change, deforestation, crop production and other lofty, noble ideals. We watch as Planet Labs successfully launches dozens satellites the size of a loaf of bread – computers on satellites aren’t much more complicated than those in smartphones, Marshall points out – squadrons of which circle the planet and transmit countless photos back to the ground every day. The info helps farmers and environmentalists, which is great! It also raises major privacy concerns, which is not great!

On the other side of the planet is Beck’s New Zealand-based Rocket Lab. Beck’s story is the stuff of a dream-it-and-do-it hit comedy movie: He has no formal education. He had no money. He built DIY rockets and literally strapped them on his back, launching himself on rocket bikes and jetpacks. He came to the U.S. to try to rustle up a job, and when that inevitably failed, he started his own thing and was so good at it – 43 successful rocket launches out of 47 attempts – Rocket Lab nabbed NASA contracts, and its valuation was a few billion dollars. Planet Labs enjoyed a similar success story. Compare those to Astra, which became famous for its fail-meme-worthy “sideways rocket”; when launch after launch fizzled and then they finally got one rocket in the air for 20-odd seconds before it went kablooey, we see Kemp on the phone spinning the launch as “spectacular” when it was anything but. 

Meanwhile, Kauffman gets into the what-does-this-all-mean-ness of these endeavors. He interviews experts and journalists – most notable among the former is Pete Worden, who spearheaded President Reagan’s “Star Wars” missile-defense program and became a mentor for Kemp and Marshall, and most notable among the latter is Ashlee Vance, whose book ‘When the Heavens Went on Sale’ inspired the making of this doc. Eventually, discussion turns to troubling topics, e.g., how Musk’s ability to shut down satellites on a whim can directly affect the Ukraine-Russia war, how AI is being integrated into observational technology, how low Earth orbit is increasingly cluttered with debris and could end up being a war zone. Hooray for the unsettling repercussions of scientific innovation!

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: History will determine if the privatization of space will be an Oppenheimer -type moment, I guess.

Performance Worth Watching: Beck’s first successful rocket launch finds him wearing a white lab coat in a New Zealand field like a true weirdo nerd scientist cliche, the blastoff causing herds of sheep to scatter. He’s far more endearing than Kemp, who tries to impress or shock (or baffle?) people by literally licking lead paint while taking them on a tour of the dilapidated warehouse space that became the Astra facility.

Memorable Dialogue: One talking head comments on the big picture, re: technological innovation: “The track record of the human species is not that great. All of these issues that cause us trouble here on Earth? They’re gonna export them into space.”

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: Wild Wild Space uses the story of the “celestial land grab” as, if you’ll forgive the pun, a launching point to discuss age-old conflicts: Where scientific innovation butts heads with commerce, where well-intentioned technology can be used for nefarious purposes. Kauffman pieces together an entertaining, fleet-of-foot documentary, using the trio of narratives here to Frogger from topical lily pad to topical lily pad, outlining the details of the 21st-century space race. 

We start to feel countdown fatigue as the film shows scene after scene of CEOs and their employees sweating the moments before rocket launches, followed by cheers and/or groans of dismay, depending on the results. It becomes a running gag via Astra’s many failures, and we sense Kemp’s keep-it-positive M.O. really straining under the stress (again we note his graying hair). You might feel bad for the guy if he wasn’t so monumentally off-putting, with his helmet-haired Aryan features and greasy-slickster vibes. You kind of want to root for Kemp and, especially, Marshall, the latter seeming like a more stable and responsible tech steward than the big dog in this industry, Musk and Space X. 

I was frustrated by Kauffman’s lack of follow-up with some of his subjects, e.g., how does “tech hippie” Marshall feel about the subversion of his inventions? What’s his net worth now? Has he changed his views at all now that his company is worth billions? Third-party commentary doesn’t quite fill in those blanks. The director does indulge some of the doom and gloom inherent in these kinds of narratives, as technology, business, politics and ever-problematic human nature intermingle and point to an uncertain future. But that’s just responsible journalism isn’t it?

Our Call: Wild Wild Space is yet another good one from HBO’s documentary division. Three… two… one… STREAM IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

• Stream It Or Skip It

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? 'Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date, Streaming Info, And More

Where Is Kelly Ripa? 'Live' Co-Host Missing From Today's Episode

Is Kelly Ripa Sick? Where Was Kelly Ripa This Morning On 'Live'?

Is 'It Ends With Us' Streaming on Netflix or HBO Max?

Where Has Kelly Ripa Been? Why She's Missing On 'Live'

What Channel Is 'Monday Night Raw' On Tonight? How To Watch Tonight's 'RAW' Live

Latest Reviews

Latest Previews

Advertising

Archives by day.

Hunt: Showdown 1896

About rainier.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn commission from qualifying purchases.

'Hunt: Showdown 1896' Will Introduce A Brand-New Wild Target, Scorched Earth Event - Trailer

By rainier on aug. 8, 2024 @ 11:03 a.m. pdt.

Savage, nightmarish monsters roam the Louisiana swamps, and you are part of a group of rugged bounty hunters bound to rid the world of their ghastly presence. Banish these creatures from our world, and you will be paid generously—and given the chance to buy more gruesome and powerful weapons. Fail, and death will strip you of both character and gear. Your experience, however, remains in your pool of hunters—called your Bloodline—always.

Hunt’s competitive, match-based gameplay mixes PvP and PvE elements to create a uniquely tense experience where your life, your character, and your gear are always on the line. At the beginning of each match, up to five teams of two set out to track their monstrous targets. Once they’ve found and defeated one of these they will receive a bounty—and instantly become a target for every other Hunter left on the map. If you don’t watch your back, you’ll find a knife in it, and your last memory will be of another team of Hunters walking away with your prize. The higher the risk, the higher the reward–but a single mistake could cost you everything.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 , the next chapter of  Hunt , where players can join a whole new experience as we leap forward chronologically and head west of the Bayou backwaters to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Today Crytek is thrilled to introduce the latest in-game Event, Scorched Earth, alongside a new Wild Target—the Hellborn. Starting off in the new Colorado biome, Scorched Earth brings three Pacts for Hunters to pledge to as they step off the train from Louisiana into the shadow of the mighty Rocky Mountains. The Mammon’s Gulch Incursion is fully underway as horrors beyond comprehension spill forth from the oil wells and mines running through the mountain peaks. Alongside the fiery new Wild Target, the upcoming Event brings new equipment, ammo, and weapons, including the 1865 Carbine, the Infantry 73L base rifle with a sniper variant, Bear Traps as a new Tool, and a Crossbow Deadeye scoped variant. A completely new Weekly Challenge system better supports players joining the action mid-Event, and a Battle Pass full of both free and premium rewards are available to unlock. Hellborn An amalgam of fire and flesh and a source of immense heat, the Hellborn can be tracked audibly by listening in Dark Sight. Boiled up from the depths of Mammon’s Gulch, this new Wild Target can be found at multiple locations, stalking the land until provoked into explosive response. Posing an entirely new threat, the Hellborn moves frantically to slag trespassing Hunters, scorching everything in its considerable reach. Be warned—the Hellborn is best dispatched quickly, as its raging howls attract the attention of other Hunters across the Gulch, multiplying the threat minute by minute. Event Pacts Attempting to impose order, The Lawful Pact look to establish Hunter authority in the Gulch under Wyatt Preston’s command. Making their first appearance, The Wilderness Pact puts no trust in the law. They have stepped out of their wild and remote haunts to defend the integrity of the mountain ranges and punish those who corrupt or exploit them. Meanwhile, The Demented Pact have resurfaced under the cover of darkness, following signs of this new Corruption with twisted hearts. They seek to nurture and multiply the new wonders the Sculptor has wrought. Players are able to pledge to their chosen Pacts at the Supply Points, which grants them an exclusive Trait enabling fresh gameplay opportunities. Some existing Traits also gain bonus Conditional Trait Effects for Hunters who pledge to specific Pacts. The Wilderness Pact Traits Surefoot (New) – sprint with primed throwables or while using a First Aid Kit Beastface (Conditional Trait Effect) – avoid triggering animals or breaking branches Frontiersman (Conditional Trait Effect) – gain an extra Pledge Mark for the first 30 Event Points collected per Mission The Lawful Pact Traits Peacekeeper – restore an empty Health Chunk after looting a dead Hunter Packmule (Conditional Trait Effect) – find extra ammo when looting dead Hunters Vigilant (Conditional Trait Effect) – double the range of Dark Sight The Demented Pact Traits Berserker – boost melee damage Adrenaline (Conditional Trait Effect) – 25% speed boost for 20 seconds when at critical health Ghoul (Conditional Trait Effect) – restore health when damaging a Boss Target or Wild Target Hunters will also be able to earn Event Pledge Marks and acquire additional boons and rewards, with the ability to carry up to 4 Pledge Marks at a time. Mammon's Gulch In Mammon’s Gulch, visit 16 unique compounds spread across the peaks and ravines of the new  Hunt  biome. Pass through torched towns and delve deep into the mines, avoid new threats, and take advantage of the terrain as you explore new strategic vantage points and tactics. Take to the high ground in the struggle against rival Hunters, or venture down into the Gulch’s deep mines to face untold horrors. CRYENGINE 5.11 Hunt: Showdown 1896  showcases the new capabilities of the long-awaited CRYENGINE 5.11 upgrade. Players will dive into a new experience benefiting from a leap in visual fidelity, with improvements across textures, lighting and animation, enhanced audio design, greater overall performance, and tons more. Console players will also see native 4K and 60 fps support on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and 60 fps and 2k for Xbox Series S, all in glorious HDR. Key Features: New Era of  Hunt   –  Hunt: Showdown 1896  takes the fight to a whole new Colorado biome with the all-new map, Mammon’s Gulch.  CRYENGINE 5.11  – The latest CRYENGINE technology will usher in the most immersive  Hunt  yet, with overhauled visuals, richer audio, and more. Corrupt World & Timeless Evil  – A gunslinging PvPvE extraction shooter, challenging Hunters to thrive against a backdrop of supernatural horrors in a dark and gritty world where players build shared memories of desperation, loss and triumph together.  Intense Atmosphere  – Featuring award-winning audio design, sink deep into a sensory gameplay experience featuring rich sounds and immersive environments. Ever Evolving  –Frequent updates for players always looking for new challenges, with new events, weapons, characters, rewards and more in the growing world of  Hunt . Thriving Community  –Join thousands of other Hunters from around the world in a highly engaged community, helping to shape the future of  Hunt  with feedback and surveys that regularly steer future updates. The launch of  Hunt: Showdown 1896  on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S brings with it the sunsetting of  Hunt: Showdown  on last-generation platforms. This means that beyond August 15, the original  Hunt: Showdown  will no longer be playable on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. As previously announced , all console players will automatically receive an upgrade to the new game at no additional cost on their next-generation counterpart, including all past purchases and progress. For players that haven’t yet made the upgrade, rest assured your  Hunt  legacy will be ready and waiting as soon as you choose to make the switch to PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S.

Even in death, you will be able to progress among the ranks of Hunters via your Bloodline. Though one character may die, their experience will be transferred to your Bloodline, where it can be applied your other Hunters. If you make it off of the map alive, you will be able to use the money and experience you earn to kit out new Hunters and prepare for the next match. If you die, you lose everything but your experience.

Dark Sight allows Hunters to see into the veil between worlds, making that which cannot be seen by mortal eyes visible to those who have been initiated. Use Dark Sight when you are tracking monsters, and a ghostly light will guide you toward your next target. Dark Sight also marks players carrying a bounty, making them more vulnerable to ambush while trying to escape.

Hunt: Showdown is currently available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC ( Steam ).

Hunt: Showdown 1896 will be launching to PC ( Steam ), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on August 15, 2024, at which point the PS4 and Xbox One versions will be shut down.

Quick Links

Latest articles.

• 'Fate: Reawakened' Is A Remaster Of the Old-School Dungeon...
• 'Ratten Reich' Available On Steam Early Access, Development...
• Friday, August 9, 2024 Shipping Announcements
• 'Smite 2' Details MOBA Specific Matchmaking System, Will...
• 'Slitterhead' Behind Closed Doors At Gamescom, Attending...

Everything else

• Privacy Policy
• ©2000-2024 Worthplaying

Advertisement

Supported by

Fear Stalks Israel’s Communities on the Front Lines With Lebanon

As tensions again escalate with Hezbollah, Israelis face the prospect of another “lost year” in the evacuated north.

• Share full article

By Isabel Kershner

To report this story, Isabel Kershner and the photographer Avishag Shaar-Yashuv visited communities inside, and just outside, the evacuated zone near Israel’s border with Lebanon.

For months, Erez Bergman had been working to encourage the evacuated residents of northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, to return to their homes, with the hope that children could return to their schools this fall and residents could fix up the damage wrought by Hezbollah’s missiles and drones.

Like 80,000 other Israelis from the north, Mr. Bergman, 51, his wife, Maya, and their three school-age children left their house in Kibbutz Snir last October, after the Israeli government decided to distance residents from the northern border — the first such mass evacuation of the area in Israel’s history.

Following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, Hezbollah was firing rockets into northern Israel and the Israeli military was hitting back, leading to months of tit-for-tat attacks that hit villages and towns in both southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

In April, the Bergmans decided to return to Snir, a cooperative village in the picturesque Galilee Panhandle, a finger of Israeli territory that juts upward along the border. But in late July they had to leave again — for how long this time, they don’t know — as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah reached their highest level in months. Mr. Bergman and other northern residents now say they feel as if they may be looking at “another lost year.”

Before the latest escalation in violence, Mr. Bergman had been spearheading a “Coming Home” project on behalf of the local council with the aim of bringing as many of the evacuees as possible back for the start of the new school year on Sept. 1. He came back with his family “out of Zionism,” he said in mid-July, sitting at the family’s dining table with a panoramic view of southern Lebanon.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .