Color Out of Space (2019)
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A family's life unravels into cosmic nightmare after a brilliantly colored meteorite crashes onto their farm.
The story
In the wake of his wife Theresa's mastectomy, Nathan Gardner moves his family to his late father's farm. Their lives are upended when a brilliantly colored meteorite crash-lands in their front yard near the well. The next morning, a hydrologist, the mayor, and the sheriff arrive to inspect the site. Nathan and his daughter Lavinia soon witness strange phenomena around the meteor before it mysteriously disappears. When the hydrologist discovers the groundwater has taken on an oily sheen and begins to glow with the color of the meteor, he warns the family not to drink it, but the family quickly becomes contaminated.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a meteorite crashes on their farm, the Gardner family becomes contaminated by glowing groundwater. Jack becomes obsessed with the well, while Theresa begins acting erratically, eventually cutting off her own fingers. Benny experiences distorted time while tending to alpacas. As the crops desiccate and the family's sanity slips, Lavinia attempts a blood ritual using the Necronomicon. A bolt of 'Color' strikes, fusing Theresa and Jack into a hideous mass. The family is stranded as electronic devices fail and the alpacas are found mutated and fused. Nathan, losing his mind, attempts to euthanize his family. Lavinia and Benny try to flee on horseback, but the horse flees and Benny is assimilated by the well. Nathan locks Lavinia in the attic with the monstrous Theresa and Jack. Ward Phillips and the sheriff arrive to find a fused mass of animals and eventually break into the attic to save Lavinia. Nathan kills the monster but is shot by the sheriff. As the Color emerges from the well, Nathan is killed by the sheriff. Ward finds Ezra's desiccated corpse and hears his voice on a recorder, explaining the Color is draining life to xenoform its environment. Ward finds Lavinia fully possessed; she disintegrates as the Color forms a funnel into the sky, unraveling space and time. Ward survives as the property is destroyed, leaving a 'blasted heath'. In an epilogue, an older Ward stands on a finished dam, refusing to drink the water.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Richard Stanley
- Writers
- Richard Stanley · co-writer; Scarlett Amaris · co-writer
- Cast and characters
- Nicolas Cage · Nathan Gardner; Joely Richardson · Theresa Gardner; Madeleine Arthur · Lavinia Gardner; Brendan Meyer · Benny Gardner; Julian Hilliard · Jack Gardner; Elliot Knight · Ward Phillips; Tommy Chong · Ezra; Josh C. Waller · Sheriff Pierce
- Genres
- science fiction; horror
- Themes
- Cosmic horror; Family disintegration; Environmental decay
- Tone and mood
- Atmospheric; Deranged; Visually vibrant
- Premise and plot tags
- Lovecraftian horror; Body horror; Cosmic horror; Sci-fi
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Colour Out of Space by H. P. Lovecraft
- Franchise connections
- Lovecraft adaptations trilogy
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, praised for its visual style, performances, and atmosphere, though some critics noted an uneven tone or length.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 70 · scale: 100 · review count: 28
- Production trivia
- Richard Stanley's mother was a fan of H. P. Lovecraft and read his works to him.; Filming took place in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, Portugal.; The film was financed by Ace Pictures and XYZ Films handled international sales.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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