Review: Infinitum – Subject Unknown (2021)

During the lockdown, many people tried to find new ways of working and being creative, instead of just whiling away the days.  The fruits of this have been a mixed bag, with many terrible short films, plus some gems.  None of them though have quite hit the heights managed by ‘Infinitum: Subject Unknown’ on such limited resources.

Written by Tori and Matt Butler-Hart, starring Tori Butler-Hart, and directed my Matt Butler-Hart, this film has transcended its lowly start, and achieved a remarkable end product.  Based on a world they created for a graphic novel, which they are also adapting for a TV series, ‘Infinitum: Subject Unknown’ deals with a woman trapped in seemingly parallel worlds and endless time loops.

Jane (Tori Butler-Hart) wakes up tied to a chair in the attic of London house, extremely disorientated, with no recollection of how she got there.  Breaking free of her bonds, she hunts for clues about her ‘cell’, but there doesn’t seem to be any way in or out, and as soon as she gets frustrated, the day resets.  From here, the loops pile up, and Jane attempts to discover the truth behind her captivity and who might be behind it.

Making occasional appearances and giving clues to what is happening are Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones) and Sir Ian McKellen as scientists talking about their work at the Wytness Research Centre.  Aside from providing some star power, their performances give a greater sense of context, but also help break up the repeating loops.  These loops are well handled though, and ‘Infinitum: Subject Unknown’ avoids the worst clichés that we see all too often.  The time loop is a well-worn trope and needs to be carefully deployed if it isn’t going to grate very quickly.  Here though, it is mixed up nicely, with some elements going forwards in time, some backwards, and all of them combining in interesting ways.

What helps deliver this in an interesting way is a fantastic selection of locations, from deserted London streets, to a house that clearly hasn’t seen any attention since the 70s, all the way to a Jacobean mansion.  Together these add significantly to the feel of the film, and clearly show good use of the best options available during the lockdown.

Thematically, the lockdown had its influence too, with ‘Infinitum: Subject Unknown’ being infused with the sense of frustration and for some, desperation, that affected many after being confined for months on end.  Being isolated and unable to meet anybody else was an inescapable blanket over the populace, which became a psychological limitation, but that wasn’t the only difficulty that the film had to overcome.

Shooting entirely on an iPhone was the most obvious technical limitation, and at times the depth of field in some shots gives it away.  Mostly though, you don’t really question it, and the shot composition, with effective use of limited lighting give it the cinematic feel you’re after.  With just the husband-and-wife team on set, there was no crew helping to manoeuvre equipment around or set things up, so it is admirable what was achieved.  It is also clear that this gave a sense of freedom and let them try options without any extra cost.

The result is a nice-looking film, which has been enhanced by judicious grading in post-production.  This is not wild, harsh looking footage as you might expect, but carefully filmed scenes delivered in the best way possible with what was at hand.  There’s also a nice use of natural light, which helps and negates the use for extensive lighting that you might require on a normal set.

This all adds up to a film that in years to come will no doubt be reflective of this whole period and give a sense of how everyone was feeling under the weight of the unknown.  That it also happens to be an interesting sci-fi film that transcends its limitations is just another aspect that means you should give this a watch.

Infinitum: Subject Unknown is out in US cinemas on August 6th and is available to watch on Amazon in the UK and elsewhere now.

An interview with Tori and Matt Butler-Hart will also be broadcast on ‘Screen to Screen’ (which this writer co-hosts), a radio show on Soho Radio‘s Culture channel on August 12th at 10am (UTC+1)