Project Ithaca is a unique blend of heavy sci-fi with a bit of horror mixed in. For those who enjoy thinking outside the box, Project Ithaca will have you doing just that.
“A malevolent alien species has been abducting humans for decades…possibly centuries. Their endgame: to harvest enough human emotional energy to open a wormhole through which their spacecrafts can pass and conquer our world. To end this threat, the U.S. military initiates Project Ithaca, a top-secret plan to teleport a human-alien hybrid, SERA, aboard the “mother ship” to destroy it. SERA awakes inside the alien craft along with five others. Divided, they will die; only together, can they defeat the aliens and find a way home.”
Project Ithaca is a unique mix of sci-fi, horror, with a psychological element to it that gives the film a mystery to it that kept my attention locked to the story unfolding before me. The bulk of the film takes place in small room aboard an alien spacecraft, with six people held captive by some unknown entity, any move they make tightens the grips on their bodies. Each of them has a different background, and as you’ll later learn, something pretty major that sets them apart from each other as well. As they each awaken one by one, terrified and confused, demanding answers from one another, they realize they must work together to figure out the situation and discover the purpose of their abduction.
This type of scenario, in my opinion, has always worked well in sci-fi and even horror settings. What instantly comes to mind for me, which fellow sci-fi fans would probably think of as well: the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Allegiance where something similar happens to Picard, way less horrific of course; and The Twilight Zone episode Five Characters in Search of an Exit. These stories and scenarios have a particular mystery to them that I find fascinating: trying to find the common denominator that inexplicably links them together, the reasoning behind their captivity, and usually, who is not who they seem to be. It’s an effective device for storytelling and works extremely well in this film.
Just because the device used to tell the story is good, doesn’t necessarily mean the content automatically follows. So, how does the story hold up? In terms of an interesting sci-fi film that definitely takes some risks, it succeeds in delivering in my opinion. Based on a slew of negative reviews I’ve read, there is some understandable confusion in some of the storytelling methods, but honestly anyone who is a sci-fi fan will have either already figured out what was going on or be able to understand the complexities of the narrative. It takes a very different approach to the concept of extraterrestrials and the government involvement and knowledge over the years, a unique view that I found refreshing, despite some critics making comparisons to The Matrix.
The acting of each of the characters is all well done, each bringing to life a vastly different character that adds so much substance to the group dynamic we’re experiencing. Without a doubt, James Gallanders and Daniel Fathers bring some of the best performances of the film, drawing you in as their bodies are confined to an alien contraption for the majority of the film. There aren’t a lot of locations presented here, so having some good acting is essential to keep you entertained.
Although I generally enjoyed everything about Project Ithaca, there were some portions I found to be a bit lacking. I would have liked to see more locations, more information about the aliens and their ship, and most of all about their species. This is surely due to budget constraints with writing tailored to this fact but nonetheless a bit disappointing to a sci-fi fan who wants to know all they can about a unique type of alien portrayed in a film. The final ending scene was also a bit confusing. Without giving anything away, it just doesn’t make sense with some of the things we’ve learned, or it doesn’t properly explain the reasoning behind it. Although I suppose it could be left to interpretation, there really is no benefit to having it this way, as it really only serves to confuse rather than inspire possible meanings. Regardless, this confusing ending, for me, didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the rest of the film, which normally I think would.
Video
Project Ithaca is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.40:1. The transfer looks good and is free of defects. The film is dark for most of the film, with color balance looking pretty good, but can come off muted at times. Black levels aren’t the greatest, either, mostly due to the poor lighting. Fortunately this doesn’t really doesn’t detract from the story, as it gives the film a kind of a washed out look that adds to the feel of the story.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds fine, with most of the sounds coming through the center channel as these people all try to figure out what’s going on. Good use on the surrounds as the aliens slither and grab them from all around, as well as atmospheric effects of the pulsing ship.
Special Features
This disc unfortunately has no extras. As complicated as the story is with the ending up in the air, a commentary track or even just a short featurette with the filmmakers/actors would have been much appreciated.
Project Ithaca takes some big risks in presenting a sci-fi story filled with technical jargon, theories on reality and time, and aliens that may put off a casual viewer trying to grasp the film’s concept. For those who enjoy this kind of stuff, this film may be up your alley and worth checking out.
