Is there anybody out there? It’s a question which has tasked human minds for millennia. While we have looked to the stars for thousands of years, the need for something or someone to believe in has resulted in a procession of old and new gods. However, it goes without saying that there is extra-terrestrial life somewhere within the universe. Whether any will have the ability or desire to ever communicate with us is another question entirely. The Antares Paradox asks what if?
Alexandra (Andrea Trepat) has dedicated her whole life to the search for extra-terrestrial life. It has become an all-encompassing obsession, to the detriment of everything else. Including the relationship with her father (Jaume de Sans), who is currently seriously ill in hospital. Tonight, it’s her turn to monitor the radio telescope during a ferocious storm. When a signal comes through, she’s faced with an almost impossible choice.
The Antares Paradox is one of those wonderful films where a single location is used brilliantly to create a tense thriller. This is largely thanks to a tightly-written script and a fantastic performance from Trepat. Writer/Director Luis Tinoco creates a scenario which is both exciting and plausible. Although you’ll need to go with it to a degree, nothing feels disingenuous. The Antares Paradox is an impressive sci-fi which has its feet on the ground.
The Antares Paradox screened at Fantastic Fest.
