Capsule (Defiant Screen Entertainment – 2016) Review

What would you do if your capsule orbiting the Earth started to malfunction? That is the dilemma facing British astronaut Guy Taylor (Edmund Kingsley) in the year 1959. Alone and on the verge of hypoxia, Guy only has a handbook and communication from the ground, the good and bad.

Capsule is ultimately a one-shot film that takes place in the interior of a space capsule. Give or take a fast cutting informative montage at the start of the film and a sequence at the end, you spend nearly the entire 88 minutes with Guy. Saying this, connections and/or relationships also need to be established so the film features phone calls and voice overs between Guy and his work mates, his wife or other countries. I particularly enjoyed the suspenseful conversations Guy shared with other countries such as Russia and America. It did, of course, help that Capsule drew from real life historic events, even if they might still be shrouded in mystery. Without giving too much away, Capsule does feature text at the end of the film that helps explain the circumstances, such as it secrecy for many years.

One thing I’d love to get across is that just because the film only focuses on one man, it most certainly does not put the film in a negative light; if nothing, it adds to the seclusion, loneliness and helplessness of being in space, especially at a time when these trips were all but a new experiment.

Edmund Kingsley holds the film together with ease and confidence. I’m curious as to how long he was stuck in the suit and capsule for. With no real physical movement, the face is incredibly important for the performance and can be difficult for any actor or actress to simply rely on. It’s also worth mentioning the featured voice actors. Even though we never saw what they looked like (a part from Guy’s wife), an emotional connection was still made between the characters and the audience.

Is Capsule really a science fiction film? It’s difficult to say. It most certainly ticks the boxes as a drama and history film. I suppose it came down to the fact and fiction behind Capsule’s narrative and story line that, in turn, made it difficult to define it by a genre.

Capsule is an innovative view into the early days of space exploration. The film might perhaps be a bit tedious to those expecting a fast paced science fiction film, but if you like films that fall into the more independent vibe than take a look at Capsule.

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