Io (2019)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2019
	Director: Jonathan Helpert
	Actors: Margaret Qualley, Anthony Mackie (Captain America 2-3), Danny Huston (Frankenstein, Wonder Woman)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 23.02.2019, VOD, 10" tablet screen.
Synopsis: After the atmosphere on Earth becomes toxic, most of the survivors flee to a space station near Jupiter, but a few stay to continue the fight to regain our home world.
Review: This Netflix production reminds me of that other one The Titan not only because both their titles are names of satellites of giant gaseous planets in our Solar system, but also because they deal with space exploration (somehow) but take place almost exclusively on Earth, which has the combined advantages of providing a large scope and large stakes to the story, while keeping it intimist and cheap to produce as well, I don't know which matters most to the entertainment giant producing it. Another satellite name was used up in Europa Report, that one taking place in space. And the TV-series The Expanse mentions many of them in particular Jupiter's Ganymede and Saturn's Phoebe but also Io, Europa, Callisto, Titan... So this movie is much more of a (melo-)drama with a SF / post-apocalyptic backdrop. Going in this direction is also the fact that two actors are dominating the whole thing, plus some voices, TV extracts and flashbacks. Knowing that, you won't be surprised that the movie is very slow, and the actors speak slowly and react sometimes unexpectedly, trying to convey the feeling of isolation they themselves feel. Or just a lack of ideas from the movie. It is nice to see Anthony Mackie showing a different side of his action than the one most moviegoers know from his role as Falcon in Captain America and Avengers movies. Anyway the philosophical topics raised are worth the mention, and the movie is not badly done, but if you were looking for pure Science Fiction you will be disappointed.
Rating: 4 /10