by Paul Mount
It’s 2063, and the world has been devastated by environmental abuse and an ongoing war between two rival power blocs. On a remote rig out at sea, a crew of four are keeping a watchful eye on the watery world around them whilst trying to communicate with the wider world (without success) and to keep their own sanity on what is becoming an endless tour of duty. A massive tidal wave smashes into the rig, their food supplies dwindle, and their spirits sink even lower. A boat hoves into view, and the crew feel a moment of elation… but there’s no radio response from the boat either. The Last Sentinel is an intriguing potpourri of ideas that play on themes of isolation, paranoia, fear, and mistrust. However, its elongated running time leaves it a bit like the Sentinel rig itself – slightly adrift, directionless, and searching for a point or purpose.
For all its ambition and its determination to create an air of dystopian despair, The Last Sentinel is a bit of a slog. Estonian director Tanel Toom creates a real and palpable sense of tension in the opening sequences as he introduces the film’s setting and its cast of characters. and the disturbing threat of a massive nuclear weapon lurking in the shadows as a last option for the riggers and then seems a bit lost in moving the dramas forward. The mystery of the boat quickly fizzles out, and we’re left with characters teetering on the edge of madness, shifting loyalties, and a couple of countdown scenes that try to heighten the stakes as the nuclear weapon is readied for action before being disarmed as common sense appears to prevail. But ultimately, not much of interest really happens to this rather dour bunch – well played by Kate Bosworth, Thomas Kretschmann, Lucien Laviscount, and Martin McCann, who do their best to inject some life and colour into their rather cypher-like characters – and whilst Toom turns the rig itself into a grim and forbidding fifth character, he doesn’t really seem able to steer the narrative in any direction that makes sticking with it throughout it near two-hour running time worth the effort. The Last Sentinel is ultimately just a couple of interesting ideas searching for a compelling story.
The Last Sentinel is available in the UK from 101 Films on April 24th.
