“65” (2023) starring Adam Driver & Ariana Greenblatt / Z-View

65 (2023)

Directors: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Screenplay: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Stars: Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman and Nika King.

Tagline:  65 million years ago prehistoric earth had a visitor.

The Plot…

Mills (Driver) accepts a job to pilot a deep space ship for three times his normal pay.  He needs the money to pay for treatment for a potentially fatal illness his daughter has.  When Mills’ ship is knocked off course by meteors, it crash lands on Earth 65 million years ago.

Mills and a nine year old girl, Kona (Greenblatt) are the sole survivors.  The have a small shot at getting home.  One of the ship’s escape pods is located 15 kilometers away.  To get to it they will have to cross an unforgiving environment full of carnivorous dinosaurs, poisonous plants and bugs, quicksand, landslides and more.  The Earth 65 million years ago is a dangerous place.  Oh, and Mills just learned that the main meteor in the ring his ship went through is due to hit earth in 12 hours… and that meteor is a planet-killer.  The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Reviewers haven’t been kind to 65.  I was pleasantly surprised that it resonated with me much more than most.  It caused me to jump more than a couple of times.

Unlike many films of this nature, when the lead character is injured, he just shakes it off.  In 65, Mills’ injuries appear painful and take their toll.

While 65 features a happy ending, it’s as Rocky Balboa might say, “Not all sunshine and roses.”  If it had been, maybe reviewers would have enjoyed it more.

65 (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.