Calculator (2014)

Calculator has the lean, propulsive appeal of a survival thriller dropped into a cold-blooded sci-fi sandbox: ten condemned strangers, one poisonous world, and a single, almost mythic destination that may or may not deserve its name. Dmitry Grachev keeps the tension tight and tactile, using the swampy terrain and the planet’s unseen underground menace to create a constant sense of pressure, while Evgeny Mironov brings a grounded, human edge to the fight for forward motion and Vinnie Jones adds a bruising, unpredictable presence. The vibe is grim, brisk, and physical—more mud-and-blood endurance than glossy space opera—so if you like your science fiction practical, hostile, and relentlessly paced, this is an easy bet. It won’t be for viewers craving warmth or humor, but for anyone who enjoys watching characters earn every step, it delivers a satisfyingly harsh ride.

Calculator is clearly aiming for a gritty survival-thriller in a sci-fi skin: a doomed trek across a hostile planet where the environment and the group dynamics are meant to do the heavy lifting. The problem is it often feels more like a low-budget endurance test than a tense, escalating ride, with uneven pacing and action that doesn’t always deliver on the premise’s promise of constant danger. Some performances (and the stark, swampy atmosphere) help keep it watchable, but the world-building and suspense can feel thin, like the movie is rushing past the interesting parts to get to the next checkpoint. If you’re expecting slick sci-fi spectacle or a sharp, character-driven thriller, this may disappoint; if you can tolerate rough edges for a bleak survival setup, you might get enough out of it.