# "Prospect" (2018): Hard science fiction FTW! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 19, 2019, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178 "2019-05-19T04:28:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/21 "2019-05-28T13:55:38Z")
That’s a perfectly good reason not to enjoy the film but it’s kind of a crazy reason to say it’s not really sci fi. I mean Firefly and Star Wars weren’t “about a sense of wonder, about interesting questions about the impact of science and technology on us”. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/22 "2019-05-28T17:04:44Z")
The gems being biological in origin makes sense as an explanation for why you’d have to go to space to get them. Diamonds and sapphires are diamonds and sapphires anywhere, but only on Earth can you get pearls. And likewise only on that planet can you get whatever those gems are. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/23 "2019-05-28T21:17:57Z")
Good point. A lot of people do say “Star Wars” and “Firefly” are not really sci-fi, and I actually think the argument there is stronger than it is here. But I’d wonder what movies \*do \*count as SF, then. “2001”? Not with all that woo at the end. “Gravity” and “The Martian”, okay: but those are very near-future SF. What about the further future? The only one I can think of that strictly qualifies is “Passengers” (one of my favorites BTW). And even then, maybe scr4 would be able to think of a non-science-y way to make that story happen. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/24 "2019-05-29T00:10:12Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > And the reason we’re the last two subscribers is for exactly this reason: Their selection is vastly larger than the streaming service. Last three. 98% of the stuff I want to watch is not on streaming, both old stuff and recent stuff. Have to check this thing out. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/25 "2019-05-29T00:31:50Z")
I just looked at the Netflix reviews. Manos, Hands of Fate probably did better. There were lots of complaints about the sound quality - how was it? I’ll still watch, it’s not costing me anything after all. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/26 "2019-05-29T01:11:11Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > The biggest thing I liked was the “pod” our heroes first use to go down to the planet. The concept there is that it’s the U-Haul of spaceships, and Cee is even shown flipping through a (lovingly crafted and ridiculously detailed) renter info packet on how it works. As the filmmakers describe, U-Haul offers a fleet of 12- and 15-foot trucks that anyone can rent but most people probably don’t have any business driving one on the highway. Similar concept for the pod. After a storm throws them off course during the landing, and the circuits fry a little bit, Cee asks Damon what happened and he says “I don’t know.” That would be weird if it was his ship, but it makes much more sense if they’re just renting a U-Haul. Not sure that’s proof that it wasn’t his own ship though, because he was at least partly.lying. Just before they detached there was some kind of flashing indicator and something looked messed up but he went for it anyway. Not exactly Father of the year. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/27 "2019-05-29T02:32:40Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Not sure that’s proof that it wasn’t his own ship though The writer/directors on the commentary track explicitly said that it wasn’t their ship, it was the equivalent of a U-Haul. That is absolutely what they intended to convey. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/28 "2019-05-29T02:53:05Z")
Ok, but when he said "I don’t know " about what went wrong it was at least a lie of omission. He knew something was messed up before he detached. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/29 "2019-05-29T04:52:13Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Not sure that’s proof that it wasn’t his own ship though, because he was at least partly.lying. Just before they detached there was some kind of flashing indicator and something looked messed up but he went for it anyway. Not exactly Father of the year. Good catch, I didn’t notice that. It was interesting to listen to the panel discussion on the WIRED Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast. One panelist really excoriated him as a bad father. The others were more ambivalent. Personally, I was generally positive toward him. He’s obviously not literally the Father of the Year, but given their apparently difficult financial straits, I am not judging him very harshly. I think he did love his daughter and fundamentally was a well-meaning person. > [@Voyager](#): > > I just looked at the Netflix reviews. Manos, Hands of Fate probably did better. There were lots of complaints about the sound quality - how was it? I didn’t have any trouble with the sound. What does the “Manos, Hands of Fate” sentence mean? 😕 > [@Voyager](#): > > Last three. 98% of the stuff I want to watch is not on streaming, both old stuff and recent stuff. > > Have to check this thing out. There are actually still nearly three million of us: > **[Who Knew? Netflix Still Has 2.7 Million DVD-by-Mail Subscribers | The Motley...](https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/02/02/netflix-still-has-2700-stubborn-dvd-subscribers.aspx)** > > The streaming giant made a $52 million profit from its DVD subscription program this past quarter. We are “stubborn”, LOL. Apparently it is expected to last until 2022-25, somewhere in there. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/30 "2019-05-29T05:23:57Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I just looked at the Netflix reviews. Manos, Hands of Fate probably did better. There were lots of complaints about the sound quality - how was it? > I’ll still watch, it’s not costing me anything after all. At first I misread this as “IMDb reviews” and was confused: 1.9 Manos: The Hands of Fate 6.1 Prospect But looking now at Netflix reviews, the reception there is a mixed bag. The 6.1 IMDb rating sounds about right, I’d say. I had no sound issues. EDIT: And yeah, he was a terrible father. Just the fact that he’s shown doing what I interpreted to be the equivalent of shooting heroin in front of his adolescent daughter isn’t great. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/31 "2019-05-29T05:42:52Z")
I just checked out the Netflix reviews: they reinforce a sense that the taste of the people who review on the site has gotten worse and worse over the years (yet they still keep renting movies they have no business going anywhere near). But as I said in my review, they are entitled to their own taste. To opine, however, that the movie is so obviously terrible the positive reviews must come from shills?!? :smack: Are they not aware that it has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating, from 40 reviews (meaning only four were negative)? Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/32 "2019-05-29T07:58:01Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > To me, a sci-fi story is about a sense of wonder, about interesting questions about the impact of science and technology on us. Good thing you’re not actually the gatekeeper to all of SF, then, I guess? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/33 "2019-05-29T10:42:27Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Ok, but when he said "I don’t know " about what went wrong it was at least a lie of omission. He knew something was messed up before he detached. I went back and rewatched the sequence several times. I don’t see any signs of trouble until after they detached and the “ferry” was receding in the distance. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/34 "2019-05-29T13:58:19Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Good thing you’re not actually the gatekeeper to all of SF, then, I guess? Oh, was this the wrong place to state my impressions and opinions of a movie? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/35 "2019-05-29T14:54:35Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I went back and rewatched the sequence several times. I don’t see any signs of trouble until after they detached and the “ferry” was receding in the distance. Maybe I misremembered the exact sequence but I sure had the feeling he still had time to abort the mission. I’ll look again later. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/36 "2019-05-29T15:57:48Z")
Never heard of it before - might have to check it out. Here’s more: > **[Prospect (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospect_(film))** > > Prospect is a 2018 American science fiction indie film. The film was written and directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell and stars Pedro Pascal, Sophie Thatcher, and Jay Duplass. It features a teenage girl and her father traveling to an alien moon with a contract to mine gems in the moon's poisonous forest. On the moon, the father is driven by greed, and the two encounter dangerous strangers in the forest. > A teenage girl, Cee, and her father, Damon, descend in a landing pod from a transport spa... > **[Prospect (2018) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7946422/)** > > Prospect: Directed by Christopher Caldwell, Zeek Earl. With Sophie Thatcher, Jay Duplass, Pedro Pascal, Luke Pitzrick. A teenage girl and her father travel to a remote alien moon, aiming to strike it rich. They've secured a contract to harvest a... ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/37 "2019-05-29T19:03:30Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I didn’t have any trouble with the sound. What does the “Manos, Hands of Fate” sentence mean? 😕 Most of the reviews were so negative that I’d think if I looked at the reviews for Manos (the original, not the MST3K version) they’d be better. I trust Dopers more than random Netflix reviewers, so no worries. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/38 "2019-05-29T19:06:52Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I just checked out the Netflix reviews: they reinforce a sense that the taste of the people who review on the site has gotten worse and worse over the years (yet they still keep renting movies they have no business going anywhere near). But as I said in my review, they are entitled to their own taste. To opine, however, that the movie is so obviously terrible the positive reviews must come from shills?!? :smack: Are they not aware that it has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating, from 40 reviews (meaning only four were negative)? Sheesh. I don’t usually read Netflix reviews. These seemed like a battle between people who made the movie and trolls who had it in for the people who made the movie. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/39 "2019-05-29T20:04:50Z")
I saw the short at SXSW 5 years ago and was very impressed. While it was clearly a proof-of-concept endeavor (with only a partial story), I found the cinematography and production design very effective in the world-building that occurred over those 15 minutes. So when I saw it was playing at my local cinema, I recognized the project immediately and while it hits some familiar beats, the writing and acting was a lot better than usual efforts that are made this much on the cheap, and I thought the film was very effective in making use of limited resources and deploying them in a way that never makes the film feel overly thrifty. I’m guessing I’m the only one here who saw it in the theater, but am glad that I did (mostly because streaming and online portals aren’t available to me). ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178/40 "2019-05-30T09:49:34Z")
Wow, in the theater, very cool. I don’t think it came here. > [@Voyager](#): > > I don’t usually read Netflix reviews. These seemed like a battle between people who made the movie and trolls who had it in for the people who made the movie. Would the filmmakers even think about the Netflix disc-by-mail site in promoting their movie? I am skeptical of those accusations that the positive reviews were from shills. In any case, the most bizarre complaint was about Sophie Thatcher’s acting. She was amazing! I guess they can’t appreciate subtle acting, and/or have a melodramatic concept of how all teenagers must react to a parent’s death. My father died when I was in high school. I laid on my bed and bawled for fifteen minutes (and I didn’t have the pressing life-and-death concerns See does), and I am still periodically sad about it thirty years later. But later that night he died, I was hanging out at a party with a couple friends and also many teenagers I didn’t know. I was somewhat subdued, but not obviously grieving if you didn’t know. (One of the many reasons I love the show “Six Feet Under” is that in the pilot, a teenager goes to a party the day her dad dies.) And of course See has already lost her mother before the movie begins, so it’s less of a new, shocking experience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prospect-2018-hard-science-fiction-ftw/834178.md?page=3)