Written and directed by Wyatt Rockefeller
Starring Sofia Boutella, Nell Tiger Free, Jonny Lee Miller, Ismael Cruz Córdov, Brooklynn Prince
Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes
Unrated
In theaters and on demand July 23

by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, The Red Herring

At some point we’re going to have to maybe reevaluate how we think about science fiction as a genre. Also the western. While Settlers, the impressively realized directorial debut of Wyatt Rockefeller, has all of the elements on the core science fiction checklist (it takes place on Mars, it’s the future, there’s a robot, etc.) it is properly a western. The film has three segments, all following a few characters in an isolated habitat on Mars with breathable air and enough necessary elements to raise a pig and some agriculture. Shift the production design to replicate the 19th century and the vast American 'wilderness,’ and there’s not too much that would really need to change here outside of some dialogue in order to make this a full-on western. 

But there are other similarities between the genres as well, despite them sometimes being portrayed as opposites, as in Toy Story. Westerns and science fiction both represent the idea of the frontier, the unknown, and the risks that come with it. Both have been popular at various points in time over the last century, and both are often about human psychology as much as they are about a particular time and place. Many science fiction stories, from Star Trek to Cowboy Bebop will often borrow story types and aesthetics from the western in order to tell some of these stories while attempting to sidestep or critique the Manifest Destiny aspects of the western itself. That sense of being at the end of civilization’s string, and the isolation that comes with it is one of the strongest points of connection between the two genres.

The homestead at the center of Settlers, where a young girl, Remmy (Brooklynn Prince/Nell Tiger Free), is growing up is a perfect example. There is a sense of unknown dangers, and possibly information kept from Remmy by her parents (Sofia Boutella and Jonny Lee Miller). Rockefeller and team have done an amazing job with the production overall, making a film that feels tactile and alive despite budget constraints. This sense of place is so important to a story like this, and the habitat at the center of this story is as detailed and thoughtful as it needs to be. 

The performances across the board are effective, with Sofia Boutella once again proving how underused she has been in her career so far. She brings to life Remmy’s mother with a deep sense of pathos in every scene, the occasionally sparse dialogue allowing her to create a better sense of the character through her face and body acting. Jonny Lee Miller and Ismael Cruz Córdov each capture a different kind of frontier masculinity, even if the film doesn’t really comment on that directly. 

Where Settlers struggles is in its tone. With a young female protagonist (Remmy is 9 at the beginning of the story and 18 by the end), this easily could have gone for a more YA-like feel, where the focus is on Remmy’s emotional journey as she defines her own identity. Instead, Rockefeller opts for a bleaker story about the desperation that comes with true loneliness and how that changes our sense of relationships. The final third of this triptych-style script is genuinely upsetting, but it feels more provocative than it does meaningful.

The script often tries at big reveals when it could have telegraphed some of its intentions earlier for bigger emotional impact by giving us a better glimpse into the characters’ psychological states. When the story veers off in directions that may make some viewers uncomfortable, it doesn’t often feel that the film has laid the proper groundwork to put us in any particular character’s point of view strongly enough to understand those choices. Looking forward to see what Rockefeller comes up with in the future–that ideally depicts its humans as convincingly as the visual elements of Settlers.