February 10, 2025

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

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A Million Days (Film Review)

Director known for his debut film The Show which is a fantasy neo-noir written by graphic novel legend Alan Moore, now brings us A Million Days, a scaled-down sci-fi written by Michael Dobbin and Guillaume Fradin. 

A Million Days is almost entirely shot inside a couple of rooms in a swanky clifftop home which doubles up as a laboratory for the leading couple; astronaut Anderson () and his wife, AI engineer Sam (). 

The year is 2041 and Earth is on the brink of ecological collapse. Establishing a habitat on another planet seems to be the only possible solution to impending human extinction. After decades of work, Anderson is about to launch a mission to create the first lunar colony. To aid the mission, a sophisticated AI program is coded by Sam and named Jay, its anthropomorphism adding to the general sense of uneasiness throughout. Jay has been designed to simulate every possible outcome for the mission a function that isn't always as helpful as it sounds.

As the couple settle in for a night of schmaltzy farewells before Anderson's space mission the next day, Sam's assistant Charlie (Hermione Corfield) comes unexpectedly knocking on their door with news. She brings results of Jay's simulation of all expedition outcomes over a million days. The results prompt a crescendo of tensions between the group and doubt about Jay's veracity creeps in. The trio, but mainly Anderson and Sam, navigate feelings of mistrust, all while bearing the weight of humanity's fate on their shoulders. 

The premise is a timely one with AI increasingly becoming a topical interest for many at present. The story certainly holds the potential to be an intriguing exploration of AI as an invaluable forecasting tool as well as a basis to explore its dangers but sadly that potential goes untapped here. 

A Million Days rushes through the plot and where it doesn't, its narrative is so ambiguous that you are left guessing what everything is meant to insinuate. There are superfluous supporting actor roles, such as fugitive and astronaut Captain Gene Campbell (Darrell D'Silva) who seems to exist merely to feed into a far-fetched and watery subplot about killing Anderson's former astronaut lover in space. Charlie outstays her welcome in the film and there are painfully crass scenes where sexual tension suddenly transpires between her, Anderson and Sam. This was a wholly distracting element of the film seemingly chucked in to imbibe the “sex sells” marketing maxim to no avail. Merrells' acting is tragically overcooked for something this low-key and it seems his particular theatrical style is much better suited to his role in Amazon Prime's TV series Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Although it was difficult to be riveted by A Million Days, the efforts to play with sci-fi ideas within budget and location restrictions are worth bearing in mind.

presents A Million Days on Digital Platforms on 18th March