The A-Frame (2024) 

While working on testing his new device that connects our world to possibly another dimension, a quantum physicist discovers a potential medical breakthrough that could save lives. As he needs to keep this a secret and test on humans, he enlists a young woman who trusted him to bring him more test subjects. 

Written and directed by Calvin Lee Reeder, this science-fiction film is very heavy on science and a bit light on excitement. The story has some solid ideas and good development, but it feels like something we’ve seen before, of course not exactly, but it feels familiar, and it doesn’t bring as many new elements as one would like. The scientist is mostly not a good guy from the get-go, feeling like it was made for him to turn evil from the first few scenes he appears in. The lead here is a young woman suffering with cancer and her character feels underdeveloped. There is some good here, but the story feels like it’s using too many of “the usual” elements of this type of science-fiction and not enough new elements to keep the attention. For example, the device comes off as a mix between the transport pods in Cronenberg’s The Fly and the Stargate. It’s familiar, it doesn’t feel all that original, and it all pushes a lot of science within its fiction.  

The leads here are Donna and scientist Sam, played by Dana Namerode and Johnny Whitworth respectively. Their performances work here, giving the film a bit more appeal, especially for those not into the more sciency scifi, they both help add humanity to the process, but neither are super likable (a theme with this week’s new releases), making it harder to get into the story. The acting is strong, but the parts are a bit lacking in likability. Other characters around them bring more warmth to the film, more humanity, including Laketa Caston as Linda. Caston brings a warmth, personality, and more layers to her character than the two leads combined. By the end of the film, some viewers will wish they had gotten more of her. 

The set decoration by Alex Mooney does work well here, adding little bits and pieces in the background, having all kinds of items included to give the story’s visuals something more, make it all more layered for the cinematography by Brandt Hackney to make the most of while working with some truly dark settings at times, lacking a proper light source which makes it hard to see everything. Some of the sequences here are beautifully shot and well edited (by Zach Clark). The film looks really good here, making more out of the themes it seems than the story at times.  

The A-Frame is a science-fiction film for those who love their scifi more sci than fi, It’s not boring but it’s not exactly fascinating either. Some things work, but too many things are just kind of there, from characters who don’t bring much to the table to story point that just seem to be there to take up time. It’s not a bad film, it’s just not one that is an easy watch for a random Saturday night.