Netflix productions follow each other but are not so similar; released in 2017, The Discovery denotes in the universe of the big productions of the platform and shows a nice reflection on our relationship to death and especially on what is after. A beautiful metaphysical tale that, despite its few flaws, takes us into its world to release us with lots of questions.
What is there after death? This is perhaps the question we ask ourselves the most and to which we have the least answers. The Discovery is the story of this impossible response and the repercussions it entails: when scientist Thomas Harbor (played by the great Robert Redford) proves that there is something after we die, a wave of suicide hits the world, in a sublime and frightening hope for a better life elsewhere. Opinions diverge in the Harbor family and ideas about this discovery collide, but in a crash sometimes too delicate to ring true; The whole thing tends to turn into a pretty tale that, despite its flaws, manages to captivate until its denouement.
The Discovery's biggest asset is the way it manages to deal with its subject, which concerns and fascinates universally; with dialogues always well written and a staging of a poetry sometimes delicate, sometimes funereal, the charm of Charlie McDowell's latest film works wonderfully. Between everyone's questions, unfounded or disappointed hopes, dangerous discoveries and an underlying but omnipresent guilt, The Discovery constantly questions human emotions in the face of this mysterious and yet so common object that is death.
But the sci-fi drama gradually turns into a tale, when McDowell's camera fails to dwell enough on the wounds of each of the characters. The story between Will and Isla (played by Jason Segel and the magnetic Rooney Mara), the first and last central element of the film that completes a sublime and hellish cycle, lacks at many moments of complexity, because of a character development that is content to remain on the level of the storyline. The characters seem not to be able to exist outside of this plot, which gives the film a sometimes unrealistic look and tends to establish a distance between the viewer and those he follows. And yet, despite these few blunders, the actors manage to convince us of the sincerity of these characters by a game that always sounds right, and that manages to find a precise tone to address these sometimes delicate themes.
Sturla Brandth Grøvlen's photography also has its qualities and flaws: always very beautiful but very neutral, in dark tones that oscillate between black and blue, it puts a permanent veil filled with melancholy on this plot already quite dark; Thus, she fits perfectly with this universe, but often lacks audacity, content to film these characters with realism and distance, hesitating to take a real direction that could have given a stronger visual identity. Between drama, science fiction and romance, The Discovery fails to have a real bias, which would have given more strength and consistency, in order to best support this scenario.
Despite some flaws, The Discovery is undeniably one of the best Netflix productions; With a fascinating plot, a subject always well treated and a fairness of play, this sublime cycle manages to convince without difficulty. We can't wait to discover McDowell's next films, which will surely keep these qualities, with audacity in addition.
Charlie McDowell's The Discovery trailer:
