Fast Color (2019)

Fast Color feels special because it treats “superpowers” less like a fireworks show and more like a wound—and a chance to heal—turning a sci-fi thriller into something intimate, urgent, and quietly awe-inspiring. Julia Hart builds a parched, near-future Midwest with a tense, lived-in realism, then lets the wonder seep in through modest but beautifully chosen effects that land emotionally instead of loudly. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is magnetic as a woman running from herself as much as from the people chasing her, and the film’s heartbeat is the fierce, complicated bond between three generations of women (with Lorraine Toussaint and Saniyya Sidney both giving it steel and soul). If you want capes, quips, and big set pieces, this isn’t that kind of ride—but if you’re on the fence and crave smart, original genre storytelling that actually has something to say, Fast Color is a stunner.

Fast Color is aiming for a grounded, intimate sci‑fi thriller about inherited power, trauma, and reconciliation, and it deserves credit for choosing mood and character over flashy spectacle. The problem is that the story often feels underwritten: the stakes stay oddly muted, the “thriller” mechanics don’t generate much momentum, and key ideas are teased more than they’re developed, which can leave you waiting for a payoff that never quite arrives. If you want tight plotting, big set pieces, or clear world-building answers, this may feel frustratingly slight and unfinished. But if you’re happy with a slow-burn, low-budget, performance-led drama (with strong work from Gugu Mbatha‑Raw and Lorraine Toussaint) that treats superpowers as metaphor first and entertainment second, it can still be a worthwhile watch.