Being a devout science fiction fan I've developed a philosophy: "We have to suffer for our sci-fi." Meaning that until recently there have been so few choices in sci-fi and even though most low budget attempts are mediocre and cheesy, we suffer through them anyway because we love the genre.
Every now and then a low budget indie comes along that surprises us by being even better than most high budget kin."Time Lapse," "John Dies in the End"and "Revolt" are prime examples of these overachievers. "Science Fiction Volume One: The Osiris Child" is also in this category.
Set in the future, the story of SFVOOC, (abbreviated title)is about a disgraced former space pilot who sets off on a barren planet with a convict whose escaped the prison from hell in a race against time to save the pilot's twelve year old daughter -- a cross between "The Road Warrior" and "Alien." It's a gritty Aussie film with few pretensions a good story and good acting. Released around the same time as "Alien Covenant," it is head and shoulders above Ridley Scott's ponderous, idiotic remake of his sci fi classic. I would go so far as to recommend skipping AC and watch SFVOOC instead. You'll have a lot more fun and be far less annoyed.
SFVOOC is not a perfect film like "Ex-Machina" but an enjoyable effort worthy of our time.
