A nighttime road trip with a hidden purpose! The collaboration between Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon continues, marking their fourth project together in the past nine years—all of which have been generally well-received. This time, they've ventured into science fiction, crafting a road movie that shares similarities with many others in terms of basic plot. However, it distinguishes itself in certain aspects, particularly due to its grounded realism, something Nichols is known for. It’s refreshing to see something that isn’t a comedy or heavily reliant on computer-generated imagery; it's an enjoyable sci-fi drama with moments of suspense. The film begins abruptly, feeling like we’ve jumped into the middle of the story. We are left waiting for a proper explanation to understand what is happening, who the child is, and where they are headed. Initially, two armed men transport a young boy during the late hours. All that's clear at first is that they are shielding him from government agents, but the film takes its time revealing the full context of the situation. I began trying to guess what was going on, hoping for an explanation of how things started. The movie didn’t concern itself with that backstory; it simply progressed forward, which will lead to some answers—answers that might leave a few feeling let down. One drawback is that you won't completely grasp everything happening, but the story isn't unfinished; rather, it’s intentionally structured to allow viewers to interpret the gaps left by the writer. As others have pointed out comparisons to similar films, and while I didn’t focus on those parallels, I was somewhat disappointed with how things wrapped up. The ending felt tidy—I actually appreciated it—but lacked originality, as it closely resembles ‘Tomorrowland.’ Now I understand why Warner Bros postponed its release from last year until this one. It could be a coincidence that the director and writer has an established reputation, so I don’t think it's particularly groundbreaking; it’s simply a familiar creative concept we’ve encountered before. Overall, the film is worthwhile, but might not fully satisfy longtime Jeff Nichols fans, because as I have mentioned in previous reviews, we are currently in the sci-fi era and many filmmakers and actors want to participate in that trend. It hasn't spared Jeff Nichols either. 7/10

Source on TMDB