PARALLEL

(director: Isaac Ezban; screenwriter: Scott Blaszak; cinematographer: Karim Hussain; editor: Ben Baudhuin; music: Edy Lan; cast: Kathleen Quinlan (Marissa), Martin Wallstrom (Noel), Ami Ameen (Devin), Alyssa Diaz (Carmen), Georgia King (Leena), Mark O’Brien (Josh); Runtime: 104; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Garrick Dion/Matthias Mellinghaus; Vertical Entertainment; 2018-Canada)

“Though it has a fine premise, it also is fuzzy and is a not so greatly executed sci fi film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Though it has a fine premise, it also is fuzzy and is a not so greatly executed sci-fi film. It’s directed by Mexico-born director Isaac Ezban (“The Similars”/”The Incident”), in his first English language feature. It’s written by Scott Blaszak. The premise has four 20 somethings finding in their attic a portal in a magic mirror to multi-universes, and when trying it they find it leads to dangerous consequences (each takes a different path from the other). The filmmaker explores his usual concerns about an endless universe and matters of identity.

The four techie friends from Seattle are living together in a rented house. They are the artist/designer Leena (Georgia King), the uptight Devin (Aml Ameen), the easy-going Josh (Mark O’Brien), and the ambitious Noel (Martin Wallström). The foursome are working on a smartphone app that will allow users to sell and swap parking spots in urban areas. When a former co-worker steals their idea, the foursome must move up their demo date from four weeks to four days to fight him off. To speed up their demo they use the dimensional portal found in their secret attic.

They calculate the time by realizing one minute in our realm equals three hours in an alternate realm, and they must avoid the twin ‘alternative’ versions of themselves that exist in this time-distorting place, or else they could be killed off. The kids get greedy, calculating how rich they can get by tapping into future knowledge, and the result is they begin to have disagreements with one another. There are also a number of time-consuming sub-plots that couldn’t be more tedious.

In the fantasy prologue, we get a peek at Marissa (Kathleen Quinlan) and her doppleganger, as she wakes up at midnight to be killed by her double. She’s the one who lived here before and left the portal device behind that the kids found.

REVIEWED ON 1/14/2021  GRADE: B-