Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is constantly on the run because she has a secret. She’s different that most people. And that difference has her running to stay free and stay alive. She’s been running for a while now and abandoned her family in the process. Now, with nowhere else to turn, Ruth finds herself on the familiar doorsteps of her family’s home. Ruth returns to her hometown to see her mother, Bo (Lorraine Toussaint), and to be reunited with a daughter (Saniyya Sidney) that she barely knows. With an unknown threat on her heels, this family must share their secrets and work together if they are to remain free. Having superhuman abilities can make you seem like a threat to those that don’t fully understand and that is exactly what this family faces.
Fast Color had its world premiere at SXSW over a year ago at its 2018 Film Festival. To say that the film took its sweet time finding a distributor and subsequent eventual release date would be an understatement – choosing this particular time window is quite puzzling. I fail to see how wedging a release, similar in theme to so many other “advanced ability” films that are in the current theatrical rotation out there, would be considered prudent business practice. At the very least, it COULD have a semi-decent six day run before being engulfed by the juggernaut Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame that is coming in less than a week. At any rate, Codeblack Films is betting that this lesser-scaled sci-fi thriller won’t be instantly turned to dust and forgotten about. Hmmmm…
Director/co-writer Julia Hart deserves credit for bringing a slightly different perspective to Fast Color. This is more of a subdued sci-fi feature for maybe an audience that has a softer palette when it comes to characters with elevated abilities. With the acting being a huge part of the value of the story, Hart can’t miss with what she does with so few pieces. With Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney and David Strathairn being her top billed actors, there’s not a lot of room for error. Mbatha-Raw is probably best known for her role in Belle (2013). Toussaint, Sidney and Strathairn have each been linked most recently with their television roles, although Strathairn has bounced back and forth frequently from the both movies and television shows.
The conundrum with Fast Color is, without a doubt, how to market this movie to its correct demographic. Those that tend to enjoy movies dealing with feelings and complex layers will easily overlook this offering simply because it’s not marketed in that fashion. What is put forth in trailers will most likely pull in moviegoers seeking a much higher level of action that what is given. Without a doubt, incorrect expectations will kill this feature before it gets off the ground. And that’s not saying that this is a terrible film. Just don’t expect to experience many adrenaline filled moments.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is decent in her portrayal of the middle generation lead. Lorraine Toussaint brings wisdom and experience in her role as the elder. And Saniyya Sidney shows that she has what it takes to be someone you’ll want to keep an eye on as she gets more work under her belt. More evidence of this fact is what’s she’s doing currently on Fox television’s The Passage. As she continues to evolve, so shall the projects she takes on. Julia Hart provides a good story but I feel it isn’t enough to capture the imaginations of moviegoers that will spend curious cash to see what this is all about.
In the end, Fast Color is more of a title that you’ll want to see during a matinee or at home. The effects and scenery are eye catching at times, but the overall pace is just too slow to get any type of momentum going. It’s only in its final act that you’ll feel a push and sense of urgency. There is simply not enough happening to strongly recommend investing 100 minutes of your time into this slowly unfolding dramatic thriller.
