The Silurian Hypothesis. Formed in 2018, this thought experiment posits that a superior intelligent race existed on earth before humans, and that evidence of them can be found even after millions of years.
Retired Prof. Devin Adams (played by an uncredited Dan Asma, according to reviewer Eric Li) receives some long-hidden video material from his ex-wife Kate. It involves a dead friend, Charlie, and his efforts to discover remnants of a lost community, known as the Church of Heaven’s Light. Charlie committed suicide as a young man while involved in that search. He believed that there might be a superior race that still existed in some form in the Cuyamaca Mountains of southern California.
Adams decides to pick up where Charlie left off. He’s retired now, so he takes his truck, trailer, and four-wheeler into the mountains for an extended stay. He has all the electronic tools he needs for nighttime observation.
One of his first discoveries is a 40-foot shipping container simply parked up in the mountains. It is locked, and in perfect condition. He sets up night vision cameras to capture any movement around the container and discovers some hideous humanoid creatures going into and coming out of the container. One day, he himself is able to enter it and finds a mysterious book which he takes away with him.
Presenting this book and other materials he’s found to colleagues at other universities, the mystery only deepens: Who are these mysterious deformed people? How do they have the advanced knowledge indicated by the mathematics in the book Adams found? There are warnings, but Adams continues his solo investigation. Then, slowly, he begins to deteriorate both physically and mentally.
Writer/director/actor Dan Asma, in his feature debut, has presented us with a mystery, almost completely in the style of “found footage.” The story is intriguing, well paced, some of the cinematography spectacular, and the acting, especially that of the characters Devin Adams and Kate is outstanding. It is especially effective in that, for most of the film, Adams is alone.
A weakness, on the other hand, is the integration of the three elements of the story: the Silurian concept, the mysterious disfigured people, and Adams’ search for the truth. The confusion thereby makes for an unsatisfactory ending, in my opinion. In addition, there are elements in the trailer that never appear in the feature, making for further confusion.
Despite these shortcomings, this is a compelling tale that starts simply enough, but slowly grows more and more involved and disturbing.
Runtime: One hour, 20 minutes
Availability: Currently playing the festival circuit
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