“What can you see?… WHAT CAN YOU SEE?”

Story: It’s 2057, and out sun is dying. So to try and reboot the ol’ gal, an expedition is sent out to drop a massive payload into her, in the hope of creating a new star. It failed. So? Try, try again, right? I’m sure everyone will be completely sane, rational, and not jeopardize their mission in any way, even if they notice a signal from the original ship… “Eight astronauts strapped to the back of a bomb…. Welcome to Icarus II.”

Scares: Existential dread. Suspense. Scary darkness. People getting got.
Splat Factor: Some blood. [TW – Sue of side]

Subgenre: Slow Burn “Prevent The Apocalypse” Sci-fi
Year Released: 2007
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original, but you’ll notice hints of prior space stories, like 2001, Alien, and Solaris, which were a few of director Danny Boyle’s inspirations.

Trick or Treat?: Sunshine is a cosmic horror starring the almost illegally beautiful and talented Cillian Murphy. The whole damn cast is epic – Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, Troy Garity, and Mark Strong. How is this film not getting more love?

Now, some may find this film a bit slow going, as there isn’t wall to wall action. Think of this as more 2001: A Space Odyssey than Alien, in terms of the overall feel of the film. And it works, thanks to a sharp focus on the characters, and how they deal with the complications of an already horrifically stressful mission. But as a wannabe science nerd, I soaked this shit UP, y’all. I wanted to walk around the oxygen garden (an absolutely brilliant idea, btw), get a good look at their medical unit, and hello spacewalk! That Boyle and his cast spent time with actual scientists, to get a real feel of what it’d be like to do what they’re portraying? Impressive. And that attention to detail shows in the finished film. It’s a very science-y film, with lots of talk of probability, physics, biology, and such. It’s fascinating, even though I could only really grok about 5% of what they were talking about. Hey, I never said I wasn’t an idiot. 

Sunshine shifts back and forth from cosmic horror to psychological horror, as space travel, issues with the ship, and low oxygen affects each character in one way or another. This genre bender fires on all cylinders, and I’d love to discuss more about how different sci-fi, horror, and dramatic tropes blend together, but you should go into this one as blind as possible, so you can really feel the story. The use of angles, cuts, sound, and light weaves together an eerie, trippy film, and an astounding climax. Boyle, you magnificent bastard.

This would make a fun double-feature with Murphy’s Oppenheimer, as the actor plays a physicist in both films. Or, make a day of it and binge Boyle’s influences, and make Sunshine a finale for the day.

Score: 4.5 out of 5 pumpkins.