A struggling science fiction author has his own extra-terrestrial encounter when he meets a man on the beach who appears to wield super powers. After their initial meeting, the writer becomes rather fascinated with the silent figure, which leads to them having a more serious talk on humanity and the being's role within it. However, the author is faced with the burden that the alien presence may prove cataclysmic and the two become entwined in the fate of mankind.
Science-Fiction on a budget is consistently a cause of concern, particular in such a lofty concept as presented in “Onibarjo”. Ultimately, the limited access to ‘big budget' special effects can hurt the believability and offer more humor due to the rough visuals trying to convey the extraordinary. Unfortunately, “The Inevitable” does fall victim to its limitations at certain points, with certain sequences having an unintended degree of humor.
However, for each time it falls short, there is an additional scene which comes across as visually stunning and impressive, given the limited resources. Additionally, the cinematography quality in both specs and style often mask some of the more ridiculous moments. Overall, it is hard not to be aware of some the budgetary shortcomings when constantly faced with CGI, but Sudipto Shankar Roy does an exceptional job of working within those restrictions to still bring a strong visual presence.
As a narrative experience, the production is a slightly messy affair which feels like special effects were at the forefront when planning. Consequently, the plot is rather thin and the mysterious alien desires and distaste for the human species is slightly confusing and underdeveloped. Furthermore, before this revelation, there is one sequence that seems a bit baffling in nature and how it would fit into his philosophical ramblings on mankind (not to spoil because it is also one of the most interesting moments visually). Ultimately, due to a slightly underdeveloped plot, the film does not leave the viewer with the profound statement it aims to make.
“Onibarjo” is a bit of a messy film, with a lot of the fault lying in not having the budget to perfectly execute its concepts while banking on effects appealing over narrative. However, it still has a lot of unique visual charm and can act as a showcase for other directors who lack budget but want to interject a lot of special effects. Overall, the short may be far from perfect, but is still a great experience for fans of the sci-fi genre.
