The Sci-Fi Universe Giving Marvel A Run For Its Money
Watch your back, Marvel! The coolest cinematic universe is actually happening inside a tiny production studio that's making some of the most thought-provoking science fiction around.
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00:00 Watch your back, Marvel.
00:02 The coolest cinematic universe is actually
00:04 happening inside a tiny production studio
00:06 that's making some of the most thought-provoking science
00:08 fiction around.
00:09 The Marvel Cinematic Universe has developed a knack
00:11 for snagging independent filmmakers
00:13 with a lot of buzz and critical acclaim
00:15 to join its stable of filmmakers.
00:17 Before James Gunn was at the helm of the Guardians
00:19 of the Galaxy trilogy, for example,
00:21 he was writing B-movie schlock like Tromeo and Juliet.
00:24 And he's not the only one getting a big budget promotion.
00:26 Fan reactions are typically divided about this phenomenon.
00:29 Some worry that this marks the end of independent visions
00:32 in favor of corporate-driven storytelling,
00:34 while others are thrilled to see directors that they
00:36 love getting massive paychecks.
00:38 No matter where you fall on this spectrum,
00:39 it's undeniable that Moon Knight and low-key season
00:42 2 directors Justin Benson and Aaron
00:44 Moorhead have never lost sight of what put them on Marvel's
00:47 radar in the first place.
00:48 Benson and Moorhead are 2/3 of the production company
00:50 Rustic Films, alongside David Lawson Jr.
00:53 The trio's debut film, 2012's Resolution, was an indie darling.
00:57 And it was also the start of their company's
00:58 low-budget sci-fi cinematic universe.
01:01 Benson and Moorhead have helmed the majority of films
01:03 produced by Rustic, though they've also
01:05 been joined by Jeremy Gardner and Christian Stella,
01:07 who directed 2019's After Midnight,
01:09 and Amy Simetz, who directed 2020's She Dies Tomorrow.
01:13 Rustic's latest production, Things Will Be Different,
01:15 is a time travel thriller directed by Michael Felker
01:18 that recently played at the Overlook Film Festival.
01:20 And it's just the latest bit of evidence
01:22 that when it comes to interconnected sci-fi universes,
01:25 Rustic is giving Marvel a run for its money.
01:27 Things Will Be Different is Felker's
01:29 feature directorial debut.
01:30 He previously served as the co-editor
01:32 on Benson and Moorhead's films for the last decade.
01:35 If you've seen Rustic productions
01:36 like Spring or The Endless, then you're
01:38 already acutely aware of Felker's editing style.
01:41 He successfully weaves the deep lore and twisty science
01:44 rules of each individual film into a coherent tapestry
01:47 of brilliance.
01:47 In Things Will Be Different, Felker
01:49 is now writing, producing, and directing,
01:51 in addition to editing.
01:52 The plot is about two estranged siblings seeking refuge
01:55 in a farmhouse that exists in a fluctuating timeline.
01:58 The majority of the film takes place in the farmhouse
02:00 and nearby land, echoing the lo-fi sensibilities
02:03 of prior Rustic productions.
02:05 This consistency makes it clear why
02:06 Felker has been Benson and Moorhead's go-to co-editor
02:09 for so many years, while Things Will Be Different also
02:11 establishes his own unique directorial voice
02:14 with a scream.
02:15 "This is it."
02:16 Underneath the time-traveling mysteries
02:18 and a litany of unanswered questions
02:19 is an emotionally charged look at a strained bond
02:22 between siblings.
02:23 Time travel is the vehicle that Felker uses
02:25 to tell an incredibly human story
02:27 about regret and reparation.
02:28 He presents a stripped-down approach
02:30 to the genre that ensures that the audience will actually care
02:33 about the people at the center.
02:34 Rustic's track record might have you
02:35 wondering if there is such a thing as an auteur production
02:38 company.
02:38 Despite the various directors who
02:40 have worked under this banner, the Rustic touch
02:42 is always unmistakable.
02:43 Benson, Moorhead, and Lawson Jr.'s consistent involvement
02:46 makes each film feel like they're all connected,
02:48 even if they're not.
02:49 While multi-billion dollar corporations
02:51 are fixated on making various plot lines blend
02:53 into one sprawling narrative, Rustic's cinematic universe
02:56 is prioritizing probing themes, unique perspectives,
02:59 and thought-provoking storytelling.
03:01 Benson and Moorhead have incorporated their indie style
03:03 into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,
03:05 but they'd already established their own sci-fi universe
03:08 with Rustic.
03:08 Lawson Jr. and Moorhead also appear in Things
03:11 Will Be Different, but don't let their crisp, white-collared
03:14 shirts fool you, as these aren't the same characters
03:16 from their previous films.
03:18 Instead, Felker elected to use the signature
03:20 costuming in a new way, as he presents the familiar faces
03:23 as members of an entirely different organization.
03:25 Some might argue that this is a sign of a multiverse,
03:28 but maybe it's nothing more miraculous than Rustic just
03:30 holding true to its motto of making movies with friends.
03:34 [MUSIC PLAYING]