ARQ (2016)

What a waste of my time!!!

The Worst Film Ever

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I really wanted to like this movie more than I did. The idea of the movie is very cool. A time machine that keeps resetting time when you die. Cool idea right? It is, but after the 4th or 5th time it started getting repetitive. I feel the roll for Renton was not cast correctly. Renton has the look of a tough guy but plays an engineer. I really like end of world movies, or close it. This one just didn't do it for me.

All I'd say is watch the film. It's ... different.Only 7 real people in the entire film (reminds me a bit of "The Thing" in that sense) but with each scene slowly peeling layers off each of the characters, showing slightly different perspectives, and so on.Wonderful soundtrack. Especially during the last few scenes. Can't quite place the melody, sure I've heard it somewhere else.I didn't really like Rachael Taylor's performance, until quite near the end. There's a simple line "No No No No No No No" (so I don't think that's a spoiler), where the human side really shows through; a view of someone who has seen awful things, but then has been exposed to unimaginable horror. A million times worse, as it were. By that point in the film everything is totally messed up, but that moment of realisation is worth watching the entire film for.Oh, that and the last 2 seconds of the movie. Very clever, leaves the playground open for the mind to wander. What the hell happened next ?

There are several floors in this movie but overall a great idea on a cheap budget. Please stop reading now if you are yet to watch it as said issues contain some spoilers!!! Now the reason why we appear to start at the first loop (nobody knows it's even happened bar our lead male) yet by the end they had recorded a video Pre-dating said loop and discover they are on their 1000+ loop not 9th or 10th as we see in the movie might just be missing an obvious point. I accept I'm no genius so maybe I missed something. My major problems occur once Sonny our 'baddie' starts to remember the loops. Ignoring the reasoning (never given) as to why various characters remember they are in a loop at various stages, my problem is with speed!!! OK so the first problem loop. In the time it takes our heroes to wake up and navigate the house, our bad guy has led two ppl to a room. Shot them, taken a body from a suit, hidden it in a cupboard and gone back and disguised himself in the same suit. In less than a minute?? The baddie then in the final loop somehow finds a way of reversing time in the loop and saving the guy who dies causing the loop in the first place!! Confused but a good idea, just needed a few more bucks and thought throwing at it!!!

This is an excellent movie. I'm a huge fan of time travel/time loop movies, and this one does not disappoint. In fact, it is one of my favorites. It is wonderfully acted, and keeps you guessing, and hooked till the end. Do not judge this book by its cover. I promise it will surprise you if you let it. My only regret is not having come across this sooner, and for the life of me I cannot understand why this movie didn't have more press announcement, or anything of that caliber. I had never even heard of it until I came across it on the IMDb suggestions. Seriously, if you are a fan of time travel/loop movies, or even just sci-fi in general, definitely give ARQ a go. You're welcome, in advance.