I can’t tell if the choice to open the film with the line, “You know how this is going to end,” is lazy or a stroke of genius. If you’ve seen a number of sci-fi leaning horror films like this, the sentiment certainly rings true since you will likely pick up exactly where the film is going, but as cliché as it sounds, the destination isn’t what makes They Remain worthwhile, it’s very much the journey. Though, it’s not to say the inevitability of the ending isn’t effective in its own way, as it feeds into the idea of being in a world that is uncaring, a world that is unpredictable, a world that is even, at times, indecipherable.
That seems to be the kind of groove writer/director, Philip Gelatt (who wrote the very underrated Europa Report), is aiming for as he adapts Laird Barron’s short story, “–30–.” It follows two scientists, Keith (William Jackson Harper) and Jessica (Rebecca Henderson), who are tasked with investigating strange animal behavior on the grounds where a cult previously held their compound before things took a turn for the deadly. As they spend time there, strange, unexplainable things start happening, which begin affecting not only their work, but their dynamic.
Gelatt is very meticulous with his filmmaking here. Nothing is ever fully spelled out for you, the film takes its time to soak in the atmosphere, things are never really made clear in general. But it does a great job in putting you in the same mindset of our characters. Everything about the film is designed to keep you on edge, and questioning the world around you. It works wonderfully.
A lot of that is due to two things. First is the cinematography by Sean Kirby, which is full of haunting, static images of the grounds. It not only perfectly captures the loneliness of the characters, but the way the film often frames the characters in small parts of the screen, leaving a lot of negative space, which emphasizes the oppressive nature of the world around them. The second thing is the music by Tom Keohane, which has a very electric John Carpenter style sound that almost seems to clash with the otherwise meditative mood at first, but as it goes along, it settles really well and made certain moments that much more effective.
The film rests of the shoulders of Harper and Henderson, and they are more than capable of carrying the film. They have a solid screen presence, the way they bounce off each other is compelling, and they each make really interesting and subtle choices for their characters as they go through their arcs. It’s really good stuff from the both of them, especially Harper who gets to take a more emotionally challenging journey.
If there’s any setbacks to the film, it’s that the hour and forty-two minute runtime is pushing it a bit. The film may be a slow burn, but it can easily shave ten minutes off it without taking out anything essential. I’m also not entirely convinced that the ultimate payoff isn’t as emotionally satisfying as I (or most audiences) would’ve liked. It’s an effective ending in that it felt like meeting the inevitable, and the horror of it works, but I don’t think it hit quite as hard as it could have.
They Remain is a solid work of low-fi science-fiction horror. It evokes aspects of Lovecraft, like a scrappy counterpart to films like The Endless and Annihilation. As a mood piece, it has a creepy and unsettling atmosphere that never lets up, filled to the brim with arresting imagery, eerie music, and a sense of place that keeps you anxious. It’s a wonderful example of filmmaking that is able to keep you engaged with clever writing and a keen eye for psychological depth and detail. Some aspects might be frustrating for some, but for anyone who enjoys thoughtful, hypnotic, stripped down science fiction, this might be a nice hidden gem.