Astronaut Apollo (Drew Van Acker) has been recovered from his crashed ship. His fellow travellers are all dead, and he has amnesia. Jim (Andrew McCarthy) is tasked with helping him regain his memory and get to the bottom of who – or what – killed his crew. As Apollo slowly begins to recall more, it becomes clear that Jim isn’t being entirely honest with him, and he knows more than he lets on. Apollo’s recollections become clearer, and he reveals that they had discovered an intelligent life form that he can converse with using music and sounds created on an instrument he had developed.
For the most part, Orion is a taut two-hander between the veteran McCarthy and Pretty Little Liars’ Acker. The latter is particularly impressive as he transitions from confusion to control. Deftly directed by Jaco Bouwer, utilising a minimal approach that grows as it develops. As with Arrival, Orion deals with the major difficulty we’ll face when it comes to first contact with an alien species: communication. Anne Vithayathil’s smart script handles this well, touching on human nature and the government’s predictable urge to weaponise any alien technology or intelligence.
Orion is a neat piece of semi-hard sci-fi, which doesn’t rely on flashy effects (although there are some that impress) that will reward repeat viewing.
ORION had its world premiere at FilmQuest 2025 and has its international premiere at Trieste Science+Fiction Festival on November 1st.
