Posthuman; A Project Worth Seeing

One of the true gems of Tulsa Comic Expo this weekend was the screening Saturday of The Posthuman Project; an indy movie filmed right here in Oklahoma and acted, produced and directed, for the most part, by Okies. Headed up by Sterling Gates and Matthew Price, this favorite of the indy film circuit is a story about a group of teenagers who find themselves with superpowers. Now, before you decide that you've read or seen this story a million times before, you might want to honestly check this movie out before making rash judgemenst. This movie takes a much different angle to a tried and true genre. Superhero movies have become the bread and butter of several movie companies in America right now. But, the more we see, the harder it is to find a unique spin on an old story.

Matthew Price himself described the movie as a combination of the 'X-Men and the Breakfast Club'. Now, that description took me off guard, so I wasn't sure what I was in for. Gates also added in a previous interview that Posthuman was 'mostly about teenagers and, then, superpowers; rather than focused on superpowers the whole time'. And this is an honest assessment. If you don't enjoy stories about teens in the pivotal times of their lives along with all of their quirks, inadequacies and social disgraces, then this might not be the movie for you. If you enjoy marvelous characterizations of real teens who just so happen to be caught up in the evolutionary transition of all times, then you're in the right place.

Now, this IS an independent film and was produced on a shoestring budget. So, it's not going to be the most polished piece of cinema you'll see this year. But, as an indy movie, it was quite exceptional. There are so many chances for the characters to take the traditional, boring route and they do quite often but with grace and style. Not to say that there aren't a fair share of predictable moments. But, on the whole, it was an original idea with a surprise 'teen' bent.

It was also about family. The main characters are brothers who seem to be eeking out life without a mother and, at times, without a father. The main villain is a relative too. (Don't want to give that much away) But, although the depiction of the brothers was well worked out although, one again, predictable, the strained relationship with the father was mostly insinuated. In fact, the father character was almost an afterthought. However, this makes sense, seeing that the movie isn't really about him, but about the brothers and their friends.

The writers and directors make good use of the theme of a 'New Chapter' of life that the teens are about to embark on. This is something we can all relate to. We've all been there, as adults, and will be there again soon if not already there. In other words, we're all in transition; we are all on the verge of beginning a 'new chapter'. I would like to see more out of these characters and almost wish they had opted for the internet webseries instead of the movie route. But, as is the case in most superhero movies, they left the door open for sequels to continue on. In fact Sterling Gates mentioned that there were prepared to do 'more stories set in this universe'.

If you missed this screening, Oklahoma, don't worry. There will be another one at Soonercon at Midwest city on Sunday, the 28th from 2-4. And, if you happen to be in Phoenix for the Phoenix Comicon next weekend (May 28th), you can see it there too. And, I have to encourage you, if you get the chance, to catch Posthuman Project in these free screening while you still can!