In 2021, Daisy Ridley starred inChaos Walking, a sci-fi action movie with a premise so good that it should have been a massive hit, but ended up being panned by critics. Back in 2015,Ridley got her breakout role as ReyinStar Wars: The Force Awakens.For three films, Ridley led the iconic sci-fi franchise through some incredible highs and disappointing lows. In this way, Ridley has come face to face with world-shattering success and devastating critique. However, as it turns out,Star Warsis not the only sci-fi epic Ridley has seen torn apart by viewers.
There are a number of reasons whyChaos Walkingshould have been a success. First and foremost, the cast was truly outstanding. Alongside Ridley,Chaos Walkingstarred Tom Holland, Mads Mikkelsen, Nick Jonas, and Cynthia Erivo. On top of that, the movie was directed by Doug Liman, who saw previous success with films likeMr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity,andEdge of Tomorrow.To add insult to injury, the movie was also based ona relatively popular young adult book series. Of course, these details were all secondary to the movie’s greatest strength of all: its premise.
A Strong Premise Can Make Or Break Sci-fi
The biggest reason whyChaos Walkingshould have been a hit is because of its unique premise. The movie follows Todd, a young man living on a dystopic planet where a species called the Spackle once attacked. In the aftermath, all the female colonists were killed, and the men were left with what is known as the Noise.The Noise makes it so that everyone’s thoughts can be heard and seenby everyone else. Yet, one day, Todd finds a patch of silence, and he soon discovers that a girl named Viola is the source of it.
Daisy Ridley Addresses Filming Disastrous $13 Million Sci-Fi Flop Co-Starring Tom Holland 3 Years Later: “Not Without Its Difficulties”
After three years, Daisy Ridley candidly addresses the “difficulties” involved in making her $13 million sci-fi flop co-starring Tom Holland.
In just a few sentences,Chaos Walkingproves itself to be absolutely compelling. The concept of a world where everyone can hear each other’s thoughts is intense, but it is made all the better by the story’s gender distinctions and mysterious history. As many sci-fi lovers know, the premise can be the best or worst thing about a sci-fi movie, andChaos Walkingseemingly had everything going for it. That makes it all the more upsetting thatthe movie ended up bombing at the box office and earning a 21% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why Chaos Walking Didn’t Work, Despite The Great Premise
Could Chaos Walking Be Revived?
Ultimately,the main issue withChaos Walkingwas that it didn’t do its premise justice. According to critics, the movie was dull and unoriginal. With a slow pace and characters that felt underdeveloped and bland, audiences struggled to get invested in the story. Furthermore,Chaos Walkinghurt itself by feeling more like a set-up to a greater franchise rather than standing as its own movie. In the end,Chaos Walkingunderutilized its world, its characters, and its story, making it just another boring sci-fi flick.
Although it has only been three years sinceChaos Walking’srelease, there is a chance that the movie could be revivedsomehow. Most likely, the story could get a second chance by being turned into a TV show. With more time, perhaps the showrunners could delve deeper into the story unlike the 2021 movie did. Then again, it may be better for the story if it just remains on paper, as a novel format seems to be the best thing for it. Unfortunately, this leavesChaos Walkingin a difficult, dead-end spot.
Chaos Walking
Cast
Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley star in Chaos Walking, a film adaptation of the dystopian thriller novel series by Patrick Ness. Todd Hewitt has been brought up to believe that a viral germ has killed all the women in a colony world and unleashed Noise, the unique ability to read people’s and animals' minds. Later, he comes upon a patch of silence and soon discovers its source: a mysterious woman named Viola Eade - beginning the discovery of the truth of the new world’s history.
