Turning novels into movies is frequently a challenge. Those who've watched numerous Stephen King adaptations know that plot intricacies, character development, and depth are often lost when trying to fit a story into a shorter movie length. The emergence of streaming platforms has enabled more books to be adapted into series without the need to cut adult content that would have been problematic for traditional television networks. This makes projects like “Chaos Walking” particularly tricky. The film is based on a book series and features Tom Holland as Todd, a young man living on a distant planet where women are absent and people can hear and see each other’s thoughts through what's called "Noise." Their isolated community is governed by their Mayor (Mads Mikkelsen), who manages to conceal his own thoughts, giving him an advantage over those he rules. When a spacecraft from a larger vessel crashes on the planet, Todd is surprised to discover the sole survivor is a woman named Viola (Daisy Ridley), whose arrival causes disruption within the community. The Mayor wants to prevent her from contacting her ship so that he can seize it upon landing and maintain his authority, as he views new arrivals as a threat to his power. Todd and Viola flee in an attempt to reach another colony where she intends to warn her ship about the danger posed by the Mayor and his men, and they are pursued to stop this from happening. The film briefly mentions the indigenous people that Todd believes were responsible for the disappearance of all the women on their planet, but they aren't explored further beyond a quick appearance. It becomes apparent that the Mayor is concealing something, and the explanation of what and why turns out to be somewhat disappointing, which diminishes him and many of his followers into generic characters. There’s also the question of why the Mothership doesn’t attempt to follow up when they lost contact with their lander; like numerous other aspects of the film, it requires viewers to simply accept things without too much questioning in order for everything to function. Fortunately, the two main actors are engaging enough and manage to keep your attention even during slower scenes featuring rivers, forests, and limited dialogue. A significant problem with the movie is the "Noise" concept; the visualization of thoughts combined with audible speech can become very confusing, feeling like multiple voices in a crowded space. Despite these shortcomings, there’s potential here, and I found myself curious about what would happen to the characters, hoping that they will adapt future books from the series. While the film doesn't quite succeed as a complete story on its own, it does enough to spark interest for more. 3.5 out of 5

Source on TMDB