Film Review: Sensation

If you took Inception, The Matrix, and Kingsman: The Secret Service, then blended them together until all that remained was a watery shadow of what came before, you’d come close to pinning down new mystery/sci-fi film Sensation. There’s a whole lot of mumbo jumbo after a postman, named Andrew (Game of Thrones’ Eugene Simon), submits his DNA to a top secret research facility in order to learn more about his family’s shadowy past. Andrew begins displaying superhuman abilities, much to his own surprise. The narrative jumps all over the place and attempts to delve into heavy philosophizing mode from early on. It throws every imaginable genre trope at the screen hoping something sticks. The premise occasionally allows for engaging action sequences and a small helping of suspenseful thrills.

Sensation won’t win any awards for originality. It tries to tie in Nazi experimentation in a clumsy way that feels forced just to push the envelope. The majority of the acting is rather flat, with the script doing no favors. Borrowing heavily from the trio of previously name-dropped sci-fi and action films, Sensation never finds its groove enough to form an identity of its own. An ending that skirts on borderline pretentious is equal parts uninspired and unsatisfying. Still, fleeting echoes of promise kept me glued to the screen. Intersections between exciting staging of key sequences, coupled with sharp editing and a decent score happen enough to warrant watching at least once. Sensation comes to Amazon Prime on Friday, April 16th.