Settlers

Wyatt Rockefeller’s slow-burn sci-fi Western will keep you on your toes.

There is life on Mars and it's a godawful small affair, according to this determinedly sombre sci-fi film.

Above all, what sets this production apart from the rest is its unflinchingly honest and bleak view of the human condition.

Settlers isn't perfect: some of the storytelling beats aren't hit as clearly as they could have been. But it's a quietly impressive piece of work.

Cordova has to navigate an incredibly tight channel to bring all of this across, and while he isn't entirely successful, watching him make the attempt is still frequently exhilarating.

Settlers is so bare in world-building details that its characters float untethered, and a major mid-film reveal seems like a narrative shortcut.

This film that looks at life in the frontier of space is painfully frustrating.

Settlers leaves far too many questions unanswered. Ultimately making for a frustrating narrative experience.

The characters are carefully constructed to support this bleak vision, with the help of excellent performances all around.

It's a promising start as a film debut for Rockefeller.