Writer/director Chris Ruppert‘s Transient isn’t afraid to ask big questions. Like other sci-fi films, the movie explores the consequences and ethics of pushing technology beyond current boundaries. Though the movie is certainly sci-fi heavy, it’s also a very human story about a young man trying to process his grief.
In the opening minutes, we learn that tech guru David Blakely (Greg Poppa) suffered an immense tragedy after riding home from an office holiday party with his wife Claire (Sugey Cruz) and their daughter Laura (Lillian Ruppert), who was in the backseat. They get into a car accident, and well, the daughter doesn’t survive. Because of his grief, David essentially becomes a homebody and rarely goes into the office. Though David becomes a shut-in, that doesn’t stop him from working. He builds a machine that can essentially map the brain and store memories. It’s like a massive datacenter for our memories so that we never lose them and can access them whenever we want.
To complete the project, he enlists the help of his tech bro partner Bill (Eric Francis Melaragni). The interactions between Bill and David are one of the film’s many strongpoints. Their personalities simply contrast. David, especially after the tragedy, is quiet and reserved. Bill, meanwhile, is much more gregarious and even pokes fun at David for the condition of his apartment, which is gloomy and dim. Yet, the two do join forces to complete the project, and well, that’s where things go wrong.
The more that the men use the machine, which looks like a white helmet with blinking lights, the more dire the consequences. Essentially, they trudge up ghosts from their past and continually see them, blurring the line between fantasy and reality. It’s at this point that the film raises a lot of interesting points about human connection. David wants to hide behind the machine and try to resurrect his daughter through stored memories, so he can see her again. However, is what the machine conjures even real, or is it a figment and ghost? It’s also because of the machine and David’s commitment to it that he can’t move on and barely leaves his apartment. It cuts him off from the people that remain in his life.
All of the performances in this indie feature are strong, as is the cinematography and sound design. Both go a long way in establishing the tone and mood, especially some of the more unsettling sequences, like when David hears the voice of his dead daughter. The film is simply well-shot and well-made.
Transient is a compelling indie sci-fi movie that raises thought-provoking questions regarding the limits of technology, memory, and how we process loss and tragedy. This is a film that develops its own world and rules, while tethering itself to a common and relatable human story. Ruppert has a solid feature under his belt, and I’m eager to see what he does next.
