65 (2023)

65 is a lean, pulpy survival thriller that knows exactly what it is: a high-concept sprint where every minute counts and the danger has teeth. Adam Driver anchors the film with a grounded, fully committed performance that makes the sci-fi premise feel immediate and human, while the creature effects deliver the kind of primal, edge-of-your-seat scares you came for. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods keep the momentum tight across a brisk 93 minutes, building a tense, forward-driving vibe that plays like a stripped-down adventure with a steady thrum of dread. If you’re looking for a thoughtful, talky epic you may find it too spare, but if you want efficient popcorn entertainment with real suspense and a surprising emotional pulse, it’s an easy yes.

65 is clearly trying to be a lean, old-school survival thriller: one capable adult, one vulnerable kid, and a relentless trek through dinosaur country with a ticking-clock disaster looming. The problem is it rarely cashes the check its premise writes—scenes feel stitched together, the storytelling gets oddly murky, and the characters are too thinly drawn for the emotional stakes to land. Adam Driver does more heavy lifting than the script deserves and there are a few tense creature moments, but it often plays like a safer, more derivative version of better dinosaur and sci-fi thrillers. If you want sharp world-building, clever set pieces, or a story that makes you care beyond “run from the thing,” this probably isn’t for you; if you’re fine with a brisk, mid-budget chase movie carried by one strong lead, you might get enough mileage out of it.