Nightstream Review: ‘Cosmic Dawn’ is a Trippy Abduction Film
Cosmic Dawn just made its World Premiere at Nightstream Film Festival. Reader Beware Spoilers!
The alien abduction genre has been dormant as of late. Favorites such as Fire in the Sky, Communion, Dark Skies and of course Close Encounters of the Third Kind aren’t made anymore with the depth that these classics were. Luckily, Jefferson Moneo has filled the void with his cosmic thriller Cosmic Dawn, which is making its World Premiere at NightStream 2021 this October.
On the evening of June 8th, 1997, Aurora and her mother are camping out watching the stars. When a bright light appears in the sky illuminating the forest around them in a kaleidoscope of colors, her mother ventures out too far and is taken by the light. Foster home after foster home and relatives who don’t want her, Aurora (Camille Rowe) learns to fend for herself and descends into a life of drugs and regrets.
When a mysterious woman keeps appearing, Aurora finds herself following this figure into a used bookstore called Equinox where she happens upon Natalie (Emmanuelle Chriqui). Noticing a kindred spirit, she recommends a book titled ‘Cosmic Dawn’ by Elyse (Antonia Zegers), Natalie invites Aurora to come hang out with some friends the following evening.
Being invited to their place up north for the weekend after meeting the group, Aurora decides to follow her new friends to their isolated compound. Nervous at first and unsure of her surrounding with their statues and “Mothership” domicile, Aurora soon finds her way and feels right at home with her new family.
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When Tom (Joshua Burge), Natalie’s husband, befriends Aurora the two form a quick bond, despite Tom’s indifference to the mythology and skepticism about the alien stories he has heard. After an accident that involving one of the members threatens their whole belief system. Aurora will have to decide if she stays with the strange group that accepts her, or find the truth about what happened to her mom that fateful night.
Told through a narrative that jumps from 4 years earlier to 4 years later, which does get confusing at times. Cosmic Dawn winds up creating an intriguing science fiction thriller that leaves you guessing what’s going to happen next. Just when you think you have this movie pegged, it takes a turn and leaves you with more questions.
One of the aspects of Cosmic Dawn that I haven’t seen in movies dealing with abduction or alien stories is the idea of finding out where these cases come from. Finding out where the abductees were in their lives before coming to the compound was such a welcome addition not normally seen in these types of movies. It gives a purpose to each member and what role they play in the collective. Allowing for a much more personal touch to the people who have been duped by this cult.
Camille Rowe plays the lead with a nuanced performance that morphs from downtrodden and vulnerable to heroic, showing her range and breathes life into a character that commands each scene. Antonia Zegers plays the role of the leader to perfection, adding little touches here and there that tells viewers she’s in on the grift with subtle looks and ticks. Joshua Burge as Tom steals the movie for me. His arc is the most interesting of the narrative and his counter belief to that of the group he’s entwined with makes him a welcome counterbalance. He also has a classic line when serving food to the group “At least it’s not Kool-Aid”, which is cringeworthy and hilarious in a dark way.
With trippy intergalactic visuals, an engaging abduction mystery story, Cosmic Dawn is a welcome addition to the UFO genre. Engaging performances and a captivating storyline keep the viewer guessing until the final revealing scene. Jefferson Moneo has created a new take on the abduction troupe that’s sure to be argued about and discussed by audiences. 3/5
Cosmic Dawn is now streaming as part of Nightstream Film Festival and be sure to follow ScaryNerd for all things horror, sci-fi and more.
About Post Author
K.B. O’Neil is an artist, writer and musician living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He loves movies, books, video games, snuggling his two pups and all things Horror. When not working he can be found getting into adventures with his wife and their new daughter.
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