Film: Out There
Director: Simon Ryninks
Reviewer: Sohan Deo
Rating: ★★★★
Out There is a 2026 British Sci-Fi comedy that explores grief and government control whilst telling a heartwarming story about friendship and family along the way. We follow Maz, a teenager who has experienced a tragedy, and we discover how that will affect her and the people around her for the rest of her life.
The film opens with a brilliant montage that transports the audience into the world that we are going to be in for the next 70 minutes; we already feel like we know this Welsh seaside town within the opening. The world-building gives the entire film a deep sense of atmosphere, specifically with characters like Michael Sheen’s Shifty Gruff. Sheen brings a comedic aspect to the film, which for the most part works to balance out the more emotional moments. However, a scene in the second act involving Gruff, I do believe, would have benefited from living in the emotion for a few beats longer rather than cutting to a joke immediately.
Charm and emotion are the biggest strengths of this film, and that is what sets this apart from everything else. We are immediately sold on Maz’s relationship to her father in their first scene, which does a lot of heavy lifting for the emotional core of the film, and the ultimate payoff in the third act hits really hard due to Ryninks ability to keep the camera on the character’s reaction. Nerys Stocks’ Maz is a particular standout as in one scene she feels every emotion from sadness to relief, and we feel it alongside her. A film like this only works with a great performance, which Stocks delivers. The Spielberg influences are clear; however, the age rating for the film is something that puzzles me, as the language and substance use feel like something from a 15-rated film, but the charm and comedy would perhaps work better with a younger audience.
The side characters are also great here, as they all feel unique and full of personality; however, the ending seems to suffer from the short runtime. With a lot of characters’ stories to wrap up, it feels like we transition from scene to scene a bit too quickly, and the audience would benefit from a few minutes longer on each scene to give the most satisfying ending for all the characters.
Having seen the film a few days ago, the main aspect that has stayed with me is the heart at the centre of this film and how you don’t need a big budget or tonnes of visual effects to tell a compelling sci-fi story; you just need a visionary with something to say.
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