User Reviews

A reasonable guess into alien psychology. Granted it's a bit slow but I really enjoyed it. Good for a Brit flick.

This is a great movie for people who aren't expecting to be spoonfed a plot, and don't demand splashy CGI and space battles in their sci-fi. If you like the genre for space operas and explosions, you will be bored and probably confused.

Rupert Graves and Ellie Kendrick star as Cane and Eva, alien colonists on a singular mission. Their culture is based on utilitarian uniformity, enforced by their telepathic connections - which are all the stronger in rare "twins" - and motivated by working for the good of the Hive. But, as they near Earth, the messily unique individualism of human life and its strange products, together with internal tragedy, cause the colonists' resolve to unravel.

So far, so simplistic... and this is in many ways a very simple, very pared back movie with few truly original turns. The "humans are chaotic but beautiful" trope has been played out plenty of times before - but that's not truly what Native rests on. The austere sets, mood lighting, and telepathy sequences replete with arthouse shots and sound design create a claustrophobic atmosphere that has more in common with small production theatre than most sci fi movies, and makes for a wholly character driven journey that explores concepts of individualism, identity, self-reliance and the aching need to connect - in any way possible.

There are a few mis-steps and the movie does waver a little into cliche and over-explanation, but more with the feeling of invoking familiar iconography than truly being a boring retread. With great performances and prickly chemistry from the two leads, and a deftness of world-building that leaves lots to the viewer's imagination - plus a neatly uncompromising ending - I would recommend this a million times over any recent big budget laser battle fiasco.

After all, science fiction at its best dissects what it means to be human, and explores how we engage with the possibilities of our nature, our future, and our identity... and those are exactly the issues at Native's heart.

Really enjoyed this movie, the acting was excellent and the story engaging. Definitely for true fans of the scifi genre. If you're looking for a superficial CGI driven western in space this isn't it.

I'm not surprised, reading the reviews, how many people hated this movie. I'd put it down to most people being idiots, completely unable to look beyond the superficiality of their own expectations re: plot, awaiting EVENTS. Eyeroll. Truly brilliant movie. Devolution of the species. Psychology. Spirituality. Love. (In)human connection. Passion.

Philosophical. Existential. Slowwww - which allows time for deep reflection.

Oh and kudos to Baltic Fleet, wicked soundtrack.

One of the coolest most original thought-provoking movies I've seen in recent times. I definitely recommend to anybody with a brain, a bit of compassion and interest in humanity.

The rating for this film is cruel. It's slow at times but it does draw you in, and then the twist at the end. It's a very small budget movie that has the strength in its' story and script. There are no George Lucas tireless explosions and sword fights, CGI etc, just mystery and thoughts of what could be.

I would give it a solid 6.5. The actors do a great job and the script is fair. It is the first time director who fails to deliver as the construction of the movie is heaving and meandering. His direction lacks focus. It simply does not flow too well. Perhaps better next time? Enjoy.

Two hive-mind human-form aliens head to Earth to colonize the planet by releasing a genocidal virus. But unforeseen problems along the way affect the mission. Cerebral and slow-moving, but well-directed and acted. It has an interesting and unique premise that carries all the way through the film. This is NOT a film for adrenaline addicts.

Most of the negative reviews are because they are "bored" (sob sob). Honestly, not every movie is an adrenaline-pumping action-adventure flick. Some movies are intended to be thought-provoking and insightful.

We might question reviews where someone watches 10 minutes, turns it off, then considers themselves informed enough to post a review here. Sometimes that can be the case (yes, some movies are that bad *cough* Asylum *cough*)... but this isn't one of them.

While this isn't what I would call a "great" movie, it was interesting and at least offered a very realistic (if anticlimactic) ending. I enjoyed it more the second time than the first, as it permitted paying attention to small details and acting / directing skills. I'd consider this a good movie for film students on how to make a low-budget, minimal-set movie and still tell an interesting story.

It is rare that I sit through such a boring and totally bland movie just to write an honest review after reading 3 totally dishonest reviews.

Cheap sets, absolute rubbish graphics, and very little plot. I have no idea why an actor of the caliber of Rupert Graves would take on this project. I had almost fallen asleep by the 10 minute mark, but forced myself to stay awake and keep watching in the hope that something interesting might happen. By the 30 minute mark nothing of significant had happened, but I was committed to see it through to the end.

It took me until about the 60 minute mark for the penny to drop, but I blame the boredom for it taking me so long to work out what the end result of this movie was going to be.

The acting gets this movie 2 stars, both actors, Rupert Graves and Ellie Kendrick do an OK job with what they had.

I highly recommend that if you are going to pay to see this movie, do your self a favour and find a nice cup of coffee or two to waste your money on instead.

But I wanted more....Although movie moves a bit slowly, the idea was good...unexpected ending. The ship was too funny though.....nothing inside... an hive full of honey?

'Native' had a good deal going for it. A great idea, one of the best concepts for a lot of films seen recently. An attention grabbing cover. High appreciation for sci-fi, and there are good modestly-or-less-budget ones around. And an actor of high calibre in Rupert Graves. Wasn't so sure about the title though, seemed a bit misleading and mismatched.

Unfortunately, 'Native' disappointed on most levels, with thankfully a few things that stopped it from being worse or unwatchable. Another victim of good ideas but poorly executed (have seen a lot of these recently and it's getting frustrating and something of a peeve now). Really dislike it when potential is wasted and 'Native' is a very good example, if not one of or the worst, of this.

Starting with what was not so bad, 'Native' did have some slickness and atmosphere in the way it was shot.

Its best assets and worth one star each were the committed performances of Ellie Kendrick and especially Graves, showing himself to be a professional and giving his all even when the material is not good.

On the other hand, 'Native', photography aside, looks under-budgeted, especially in the cheap-looking sets that looked sparse and simplistic. The music was neither memorable or fitting and the quality of the sound tended to be intrusive. The direction meanders all over the place and the characters are underdeveloped severely.

Whereas the script and story has garnered some praise by a few, for me they were the sore spots of 'Native'. The script is even more flabby and flimsier than the characters while the story is dull from not having enough content and stretching what was there, structured in a meandering way and confused with an end twist that's neither interesting or surprising and too much left vague.

Summing up, a weak film but not unwatchable. 3/10 Bethany Cox

If you like Science Fiction anthology magazines then you will probably like this movie. The writing and the acting are top notch, otherwise it wouldn't work. It's very original but it's true that it doesn't have the action elements of Star Wars (closer to Star Trek). It does have a good premise though along with great dialog. It even has a fight scene! The special effects are above average so that helps draw you into the story. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about the story or I'd give it away. What I can say though is that you will probably figure out what's actually happening within the first 30 minutes or so. For me it was an enjoyable experience, similar to Solaris. It deserves a higher rating but in today's fast paced action era I guess some people just didn't get it. If you're a fan of classic sci-fi though, I think you'll like it.

I don't understand how people were able to give this a 10 out of 10. I couldn't get past the first 10 minutes! I went to 20 then I fast forwarded it to the end to see that I should not waste my time watching this!! Spaceship looked like something from the caveman days, tho one review said it was a low budget movie, so suppose that's understandable. But the storyline was just way too slow and boring to keep my interest and keep watching.

While it was very slow, I loved how Rupert portrayed Canes struggles. I like to believe the characters had a happy ending. It was slow, but in the end when all the little details gathered I really did enjoy Native.

Very atmospheric, novel idea and well performed.

Slow pace with interesting visuals and music, like the original Solaris film.

This is a slow paced, trying-to-be-clever dire mess of a film.

The plot (for what it's worth) involves a couple of people heading to a planet to commit genocide. While they're on their travels they do a lot of talking (via voice-over because telepathy) and not a lot else. Graves' character Cane loses his connection to his home world, and falls apart with much spewing of quasi-philosophical mumblings. There's a female character who spends a lot of time doing yoga. That's about it.

I'm pretty sure as a 45 minute special in an anthology the story could've worked. Spread over twice that length it plods along at a pedestrian pace so glacial it hurts. Graves does his best and I couldn't work out if Kendrick is wooden or was trying to portray some otherworldly uber-rational being. Either way, both characters lacked any redeeming qualities.

At the end of the film there's a whole 30 seconds of excitement to break the monotony, before it lumbers back into "oh, aren't we clever" angst about the gravity of destroying an entire species.

If you like experimental theatre you might enjoy it. If you don't, let reading this review be the most time you waste on it.

The only modern characteristic of this film is the opening scene which is a preview of part of the films climax. I wish this trend would go away. I'm sick of films that begin with a spoiler scene from the ending. That gripe aside, I did enjoy this low budget sci fi movie that had you actually thinking.

Not for those addicted to coffee, salt, CGI and technobabble, but for a beautifully acted, moving and thought provoking story look no further. Full-on orchestrated Beethoven would have been better methinks.

...and that's really saying something.

This is the sort of film that gives the British film industry a bad name. It looks like it was made on an abandoned 1970s Dr Who set by a bunch of film studies students (and we're talking GCSE, not degree level).

The script is pathetic, absolutely pathetic. Whoever wrote it seems to think it's deep and intellectual but it really, really, really, really isn't. The actors seem to be taking it all very seriously, I can't for the life of me imagine why. The whole film is long, boring, pointless, stupid and just effing terrible.

Quality cast and incredible atmosphere. What starts as a fairly simple premise soon morphs into a myriad of twists and thought provoking concepts. As with all great Sci-fi it takes a very current issue and explores it in a magnified future. Very refreshingly compared to some predictable modern storytelling I genuinely had no idea where the characters were going to go next. A beautifully unhurried pace and mood that harks back to 70s and early 80s film making. Native leaves you thinking about its questions about modern society for a long time after. Very recommended.

As a lifelong fan and creator of the genre, I consider 'Native' to be a Sci-Fi film of the highest calibre. Beautifully crafted, tense, atmospheric and original"

John Watson, Executive Producer of 'The Outer Limits' & 'The Twilght Zone'.

A great film for those who appreciate a cerebral approach to scifi and a focus on character development. Fantastic acting and effective use of sets and music make this an enjoyable film that draws you in and makes you think.

I enjoyed this. The effects weren't top-notch but the actors portrayed their characters and their struggles well, the story gives rise to a lot of questions, and though the viewer isn't always sure where it is going, the tension is well placed.

Maybe not a movie to see at the cinema but certainly worth a watch.

There are three reviews rating this absolute trash at 9/10, 10/10 and 10/10. Either the reviewers reviewed the wrong video or, well, I'll leave that to you to decide. Seriously, at ten minutes in you'll be scratching your head wondering what the movie is actually about. if you're still trying to figure out what this movie is about at the one hour mark, you can rest assured that you're not alone.

The set, if it can be called that, is woeful. Some of the CGI isn't bad but if you watch closely what the actors are doing with their hands while the CGI is played then, like me, you might be at a loss to make sense of it all. In fact, nothing in this movie, even the ending, made any sense. The entire plot was hidden for a full hour, and when it's revealed, you'll wonder how it got there.

If you can afford to pay to watch this then I urge you to skip it entirely and donate the money to a worthy charity. The movie really is that bad, despite the three top reviews dishonestly attempting to talk this trash up.