Rotor DR1

Gr 9 Up—In this postapocalyptic tale, a virus has killed off 90 percent of the world's population. But drones, initially used to deliver the vaccine, are still operating as normal and are used by the few survivors remaining. One drone, named DR1, has begun to follow 16-year-old Kitch (Christian Kapper), who now believes his father may still be alive, trying to lead him to his secret location. What is unique about the film is the level of collaboration that went into the project's preproduction. The filmmakers asked for input from users on Facebook and other social media outlets about a variety of different decisions, from casting choices to prop design. Although this is an interesting and original approach, the actual movie does not feel as compelling as its initial concept. The direction and production values are impressive for a low-budget film, but the acting feels amateurish, as many of the actors make their debuts here, while the sound is often muffled and difficult to hear. The pacing is often slow as well, with weak exposition that cannot fully explain the story or character choices.