Arrowhead (2015 Film)
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''Arrowhead'' (also released as ''Alien Arrival'') is a 2015 Australian
science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...
directed by Jesse O'Brien. It stars Dan Mor as Kye Cortland, an escaped political prisoner who is recruited by a rebellion to rescue his father from a totalitarian government. During his mission, he crash lands on a desert moon, which he learns has strategic value to both sides of the conflict.


Plot

While escaping a political prison on a mining colony, Kye Cortland is forced to amputate his foot to save himself and the other prisoners from being torn apart by the mining machinery. Cortland is recruited to join the rebellion against General Lang, who won a civil war against General Hatch. Hatch explains to Cortland that his father, an important figure to the rebellion, is scheduled to be executed in several months on the anniversary of Lang's victory. Hatch wants Cortland, an accomplished pilot, to hijack a scientific vessel, retrieve its data, and use it to help Hatch free Cortland's father. Cortland receives a cybernetic foot and agrees. Onboard the ''Arrowhead'', Cortland wakes from suspended animation early and hacks into the vessel's data banks. He is concerned when this appears to lower the ship's defenses, but Hatch remotely assures him that it will be temporary and perfectly safe. A dangerous EMI flare-up prevents Cortland from sending the data to Hatch and damages the ship, forcing it to eject all the escape pods. Cortland escapes in a shuttle, landing near the escape pods on a desert moon. The ship's AI, RE3F, warns him of a toxic atmosphere but refuses to give further data without a valid login. Exploring, Cortland finds the body of ''Arrowhead''s security chief, Norman Oleander, and an intact pod with biologist Tarren Hollis. Cortland brings Hollis back to the shuttle and, after reviving her, uses her biometric data to activate RE3F. Hollis surmises Cortland is working for Hatch, who she says has been engaging in terrorist attacks; Cortland dismisses her accusations as propaganda. Hollis, who recognises Cortland as a soldier who served with her father, offers him a fair trial if he accompanies her to a rendezvous point where survivors will be rescued. Cortland declines. Cortland rejoins her when RE3F refuses to start the shuttle's engines with Hollis' login. On the way, a hostile insectoid creature attacks and apparently kills Cortland, causing Hollis to miss the rescue. A nearby obelisk resurrects Cortland, infecting him with a symbiote and healing all his wounds, including his foot. Hollis and Cortland drag Oleander's body to the same obelisk, resurrecting him and using his biometric data to unlock all of RE3F's functions. Hollis convinces Cortland not to leave Oleander behind. However, when Oleander revives, he begins ranting and turns hostile. After Oleander shoots Hollis, Cortland kills him and collapses from his own wounds. When Cortland revives, RE3F tells him he was dead for thirty-four days. The symbiote has again revived him, but Hollis is gone, apparently dead. With RE3F's help, Cortland works to restore the shuttle's power and escape the moon in time to rescue his father. Cortland discovers his symbiote causes him to transform into the insectoid creature during periods of intense stress or pain. After suffering an uncontrolled transformation, Cortland misses the anniversary. Resigned, Cortland spends the next three years bonding with RE3F, learning to control his transformation, and surviving on the moon. During this period an insectoid is attacking Cortland's refuge and thanks to RE3F he finds out that the insectoid is based on Oleander’s cells. Cortland sets up a trap and manages to kill Oleander by killing himself. Cortland is revived once again. RE3F cannot volunteer information and must be asked questions. After a chance comment, Cortland learns from RE3F that Hollis survived the fight and possibly escaped the moon. Cortland is frustrated RE3F unwillingly withheld the information but scavenges parts from the shuttle to upgrade RE3F, giving it a mobile frame. Cortland set up an expedition to find out information about Hollis destiny and while exploring a deep cave he finds the two original bodies of Oleander and himself merged to a sort of organism deeply embedded in the planet. Cortland finally kills Oleander and tries to kill himself but failing doing so in a self preservation effort. He then finds out that Hollis left the planet with another pod. Grateful, RE3F illegally grants Cortland access to confidential information, revealing that the moon is the subject of a relativistic time dilation experiment. Hatch and Lang want to use the planet offensively against each other's forces. Hatch lands on the moon, explaining that 20 minutes have passed from his point of reference. He has captured Hollis and threatens to kill her unless Cortland hands over the scientific data. Realizing Hatch, who admits to mass murder in pursuit of his goal, never intended him to survive, Cortland refuses. Cortland wounds Hatch with a grenade initially embedded in his cybernetic foot, then kills him by transforming. Hollis talks him down and helps him transform back to a human. The two plan to leave the moon and not only free Cortland's father but everyone else, too.


Cast

* Dan Mor as Kye Cortland * Aleisha Rose as Tarren Hollis * Mark Redpath as Tobias Hatch *
Christopher Kirby Christopher Kirby is an Australian actor. He is known for his performance in the 2012 film ''Iron Sky''. Other films he has appeared in include ''The Matrix Reloaded'' (2003) and ''Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' (2005). Filmogra ...
as Norman Oleander *
Shaun Micallef Shaun Patrick Micallef (; born 18 July 1962) is an Australian comedian, actor, writer and television presenter. He is currently the host of the satirical news comedy series ''Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell'' on the ABC. He also hosted the game sh ...
as Re3f - Computer voice


Production

''Arrowhead'' was based on a short film Melbourne filmmaker Jesse O'Brien shot in 2012. Using this short film, which cost $600, O'Brien started a crowdfunding campaign for a feature version.
Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...
4 March 201
Arrowhead: from Sunshine to outer space, the sci-fi movie from the suburbs
/ref> Although the campaign was unsuccessful, it led to industry attention; TV1 offered $140,000 in funding, and O'Brien received another $40,000 from a production company started by friends he met at film school.
Foxtel Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...
subsequently discontinued TV1, but they reassured O'Brien they were still committed to funding the film.filmink.com.au Dov Kornits 10 June 201
Jesse O’Brien: Straight Shooting About Arrowhead
"Made in Australia for sub $200k, the science-fiction Arrowhead has sold around the world but has also taught filmmaker Jesse O’Brien a lot about what to avoid in future."
Shooting took place in
Coober Pedy Coober Pedy () is a town in northern South Australia, north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway. The town is sometimes referred to as the "opal capital of the world" because of the quantity of precious opals that are mined there. Coober Pedy is ...
and
Sunshine Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when th ...
, Victoria, over 22 days. O'Brien said he spent almost the entire budget during production, leaving only $1000 for post-production.


Release

''Arrowhead'' premiered at the SciFi Film Festival Sydney in November 2015. It was released in June 2016 in Australia and New Zealand by StudioCanal, through Universal Sony, and has also been released in Japan, Germany and the UK. Deals were announced for US and Canadian distribution in September 2016. It was released on Netflix on 23 September 2017.


Awards

Jesse O'Brien won the 2015
John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction Writing The Australian Writers' Guild (AWG) is the professional association for Australian performance writers for film, television, radio, theatre, video and new media. The AWG was established in 1962. The AWG is a member of the Australian Council ...
in the AWGIE Awards for ''Arrowhead''.


Reception

J. R. Southall of ''
Starburst MicroPro International Corporation was an American software company founded in 1978 in San Rafael, California. They are best known as the publisher of WordStar, a popular early word processor for personal computers. History Founding and early su ...
'' rated it 5/10 stars and wrote that the film, though entertaining, includes too many disparate themes.


References


External links

* * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2019 2015 films 2010s science fiction adventure films Australian science fiction adventure films Films shot in South Australia 2010s English-language films English-language science fiction adventure films