Mar 27, 2018
Today’s movie is “Paradox” (2018), the music-based film written and directed by Darryl Hannah. The film follows a loosely connected story of a group of outlaws in a bizarre post-apocalyptic world with western, fantasy and steampunk elements. Most of the filming was completed over the course of four days while on a tour for Neil Young and the Promise of the Real.
The film stars the members of Promise of the Real, along with other folks involved with the tour, namely Charris Ford, Anthony LoGerfo, Corey McCormick, Tato Melgar, Lukas Nelson, Micah Nelson, their father, Willie Nelson, and Neil Young. In fact, this film embeds actual concert footage from the tour within the film, and heavily features the music of Neil Young and Promise of the Real.
If you aren’t a fan of Neil Young’s music or message, then this film doesn’t have much to offer the average viewer. Quite honestly, it has a lot of flaws, including an overly metaphorical script, obviously amateur acting, rough direction, and almost too much editing. It feels like a home movie, and because of that, it is no surprise that the critics are ravaging the film.
However, “Paradox” is a passion project, clearly not meant for all audiences. It feels almost whimsically put together, a fun effort for everyone involved, from start to finish. I believe this film can be fun for the right audience, who are willing to have the right amount of forgiveness, or perhaps acceptance, for what this film ended up being.
“Paradox” (2018) is a niche film for a niche audience, and needs to be appreciated on its own level. Viewers shouldn’t treat this film as a polished Hollywood effort, but rather a labor of love, produced on its own terms. But if you don’t like the music or the message, stay far away, because the film may frustrate or annoy most viewers.
Rotten Tomatoes: 20%
Metacritic: 31
One Movie Punch: 6.8/10
“Paradox” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is streaming on Netflix.