This year is a huge year for apocalyptic films. We have This Is The End and World War Z , and now Elysium is a whole other look at what the end of our civilization may look like.
Finding the right mix of revealing enough energetic action to pull an audience in, and giving the whole plot away has been tricky for recent trailers. However, Elysium has the problem of really blowing it for people, as the sci fi drama has created such a fantastical world that it could really hurt itself by revealing too much. Thankfully, we don’t think it has, and, if anything, the glimpses we have of Matt Damon in armor gear are pulling us into this exciting new film.
In Elysium Damon plays a man suffering from cancer, counting his numbered days on a decrepit Earth, while the people in an elite space station have the cure. It rivals in class, and our ethical treatment of people, as we see Damon’s character literally going for battle for a cure. In a film, that we hope isn’t preachy as it is mindful, Elysium also has its fair share of explosions.
The official synopsis is as follows:
“Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.”
Elysium is directed by District 9 director Neill Blomkamp who certainly got our attention with his feature debut. Let’s see if he can strike gold twice. We’re likely to bet on a big yes, going by its thematic relevance being the center of the story, and the smart crafting of one heck of a cast. Alongside Damon is Jodie Foster, William Fichtner, and Diego Luna.
Elysium hits theaters on August 9.
Check out the trailer below: