Director Andrew Cumming makes his move from short films and television to feature films with The Origin (now retitled Out of Darkness). Billed as being perhaps the most unique film that screened at this year’s Celluloid Screams, The Origin certainly lived up to that description. Set in the Old Stone Age, The Origin joins ‘stray’ Beyah (Safia Oakley-Green) as she tries to find her place in her new tribe. The group are on a perilous journey to find sanctuary, but find themselves under attack from something lurking in the woods…
The Origin is a film that is best experienced in the darkest room possible with the loudest sound possible. Cumming has created a world that begs the viewer to immerse themselves into. The landscape looks suitably dangerous; its sheer scale is imposing, and before the story has even begun, there is plenty to make the viewer wary. These startling vistas are accompanied by a nerve-shredding soundscape. Before Beyah and her people come under attack they are tormented by an unseen foe through inhuman cries. In the right environment, these sounds fray nerves and place the viewer directly inside the tribe with Beyah, wondering what on Earth the source of the sounds could be.
Another feature of The Origin that makes it standout, is that an entire new language was created for the film. It is a massive undertaking for any movie, let alone a feature debut. The decision to create a language from scratch is a brave one, but also one that pays off. It adds to the otherworldly atmosphere of The Origin, and demands the viewer’s attention and investment. The cast all manage to get their head around the dialect, and were the fact of its custom creation not already made known, one could easily assume it was just a long dead language brought back to life.
Where The Origin begins to struggle is during its final act. Beyah’s foe is revealed, and whilst an interesting concept, the message it leads to is one that has been done too many times before. It lessens the impact slightly, but not enough to turn the viewer away from it. Overall The Origin falls somewhere between The VVitch, The Northman, and Centurion, making it a perfect watch for viewers who like their genre films with a healthy dose of history.
The Origin (Out of Darkness)
Summary
Gorgeous visuals, luscious soundscapes, and a courageous decision to create an entirely new language, ensure that The Origin stands proudly unique.
The Origin (now known as Out of Darkness) was reviewed at Celluloid Screams 2023.
