Midlands Review of Repeat
Repeat
Directed by Richard Miller
2021
Body in the Box Productions
REPEAT UK Digital Release 15 November from Trinity Creative
What if you could speak to people in the afterlife and what would you say if you could? This less-than-unimportant question is the existential conundrum posed in new “spiritual sci-fi” film Repeat which grapples with grief, loss and the enigmas of life.
In a homemade basement strewn with junk and equipment, we are introduced to university tutor Ryan (Tom England) whose experimental probe has the life-changing side-effect of being able to communicate with those who have passed on.
The circular device is demonstrated in a lecture hall and a willing volunteer is connected to a voice of a passed loved one and the user begins to question the nature of God, religion and the afterlife.
Whilst the system is temperamental, back at Tom’s home another woman from the same talk comes to try out the device and again makes a link. This mixture of science and afterlife is a theme explored in The Discovery (2017) and Flatliners (1990) and the director infuses the feature with a sad and melancholy tone. The sorrowful ambience permeates the film with slow, measured performances and the subject matter taken incredibly seriously.
With money problems and the whole experiment taking its toll on his relationship with his wife Emily (Charlotte Ritchie), the real mystery is the loss of their own daughter (Ellila-Jean Wood as Samantha) and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Whilst Emily is pursued by a man from work, Tom quizzes the police on why the missing person’s case has not moved forward. He then interrogates a man from his daughter’s school himself about the lack of attention the teacher gave that saw her vanish without a trace in the first place.
Although reluctant, the desperate situation pressures Tom into finally using his machine to try and contact Samantha. He makes contact yet keeps the secret from his wife. A tempestuous relationship with his friend Laurie (Joshua Ford) sees the two argue about his hidden and unethical actions
Repeat is a film that aims big and mostly succeeds. A Christopher Nolan-style time-twisting narrative and Grant Archer’s excellent cinematography gives the film a professional sheen that builds upon his high-quality work in the director’s previous films.
The film’s grave atmosphere can take its toll a little however. Although the serious themes of immortality and transcendence need no trivialising, a few moments of lightness to balance the sombre ambience may have been a worthwhile addition. These could have perhaps shown there were some good times and loving relationships worth saving at all. It’s a film of secrets, arguments and sadness almost throughout.
The story continues as Tom makes some technical adjustments which ends with images and not just voices emanating from his device. The improvised tinkering of his equipment also echoes low-budget movie Primer (2004) which deals with homemade engineering with a sci-fi spin. And like that film, a final third-act revelation threatens concepts of reality and proposes notions of reincarnation and multi-dimensional travel. Nothing too big then!
But the dynamic ending actually draws together some even huger revelations, and of course more sadness. But could the machine have another side-effect trick up its sleeve? You’ll have to watch to find out.
And with that, Repeat ends as an all-too-serious at times dark drama with an incredible cinematic look that doesn’t skimp on its lofty and metaphysical themes. But with very impressive craftmanship, a tight script and grandiose concepts, Repeat certainly delivers a superb feature full of soulful science fiction that is both immensely satisfying and thoughtfully surprising.
Michael Sales
