Getting together to scramble through an impossible deadline, four friends discover a doorway to parallel universes in the attic. Initially using it to buy some extra time to get their app made, the pals quickly find other uses for the portal. Some use it for fame and fortune – ripping off famous art in a universe where the art sucks and Mona Lisa has short hair – while others opt for revenge and reconnecting with lost, dead family members. But as the gang get more and more confident in bouncing willy-nilly between universes, some develop consciences while others become more brazen in their crimes.
High concept, low budget, Isaac Ezban’s sci-fi thriller is a cross between a Twilight Zone episode and Christopher Nolan movie. It may not have the big bucks behind it like the latest Nolan blockbuster, but it’s crisp and clean; well-shot and directed, with solid performances from its cast. While at least half of their stories play out as you might expect (industrial espionage, an accidental murder and one girl doing the plot of Yesterday, except with art), there is some value to be had in Devin’s (Aml Ameen) search for a reality in which his dad still lives.
Like the art of parallel universe scamster Leena (Georgia King), Parallel is not terribly original, following in the footsteps of many a sci-fi thriller (slash Rick and Morty episode) before it. Tonally, it’s muddled, struggling to manage its comedy beats and darker impulses. Still, the performances and Scott Blaszak’s to-the-point script make the film easy to like, in spite of its flaws. Were we all living in a universe where this was the only film of its kind, Parallel would probably be the best film of its kind.
