Fantasia International Film Festival 2024 – While some sci-fi films go big in terms of world building and uncanny characters, The Silent Planet remains simple, and not in a bad way. The film really boils down to two characters, who grow increasingly paranoid of each other on a penial colony planet. Writer/director Jeffrey St. Jules’ feature eventually transforms into a lean character study rife with tension.

Elias Koteas plays Theodore, who initially works alone on the penial colony, mining alien minerals to send back to Earth. To pass the doldrum of his days, he also watches a lot of TV shows. Oh, and he clings to small shreds of his sanity. His memory is a fragmented mess, and it’s unclear why, at least initially. Is he just getting old, or is there something greater at play? St. Jules doesn’t give easy answers, at least not right away. It’s not even clear why Theordore is on the planet and what crimes he committed.

Briana Middleton stars alongside Koteas and plays Niyaa. More is known about her character from the get-go, including the fact she was raised by peaceful aliens who were slaughtered by a rogue soldier. She was arrested for treason and sent to the penial colony, where she hoped to be alone to forget about her trauma. When a small and rather cute robot informs Niyaa that another prisoner exists on the planet, Niyaa is reluctant to meet Theodore, even though he’s persistent. When the two do meet, Niyaa suspects that Theodore just may have been the soldier who murdered her adoptive family of aliens. However, whether or not he’s responsible remains a mystery for much of the runtime because of their faulty memories.

Even though this film is mainly a two-person cast, the stakes feel high, especially because both characters have disoriented memories. There’s also a strange purple gas that factors into the script, again muddying what’s true and what isn’t.  St. Jules is careful to not reveal everything immediately, thus building suspense and keeping the viewers guessing. This is also a lean, 90-minute film with solid pacing, and both Middleton and Koteas turn in strong performances. Middleton is especially effective in portraying her character’s justifiable rage and also her profound sadness. Theordore, meanwhile, comes across as a lonely old dude who could really use a friend, though his past may be quite bloody.

While there really wasn’t a need for much world-building here because this is more of a character-driven drama and thriller, the Canadian film still contains set locations that feel otherworldly and at times, eerie. The cinematography does make it seem like Niyaa and Theodore are indeed on another planet. There are some great shots throughout the runtime, especially when Theodore and/or Niyaa walk around the penial colony.

Overall, The Silent Planet is a unique type of sci-fi film, low on action sequences, and much more interested in character and storytelling. Even with a two-person cast, the feature has plenty of tense moments and gripping suspense. This film will suck you into its world of paranoia.