As it says in the title, Doug Liman’s “Chaos Walking” is essentially 109 minutes of walking and utter chaos. Shooting began in 2017, but numerous pushbacks and reshoots meant that viewers finally get to see the film a whopping four years later—and let’s just say the reception wasn’t great.
In a dystopian future with no women, Todd (Tom Holland) lives in a rustic settlement run by the Mayor (Mads Mikkelsen). Everyone on Todd’s planet suffers from ‘the noise’—a force that displays men’s inner thoughts for all to see. One day a young woman named Viola (Daisy Ridley) crash lands on the planet, which disrupts the entire community. When the Mayor learns of Viola’s plan to contact her ship, he sees the new arrival as a potential threat and concludes he has to stop this from happening. Todd and Viola embark on a perilous adventure as they try to outrun the Mayor and his men.
“Chaos Walking” is based on the three-part book series by author Patrick Ness, more specifically, the first book, “The Knife of Never Letting Go.” The film isn’t an exact translation from page to screen, as in the books Todd and Viola are only 13, whereas, at the time of filming, they were 20 and 24 respectively. The film also doesn’t consider the heavy themes of the books, including colonialism and gender politics.
“Chaos Walking” is action-packed with impressive stunts and SFX. However, a downside to the film is the lack of emotional connection to the characters; viewers are thrown into Todd’s life without any real explanation. There are multiple unexplored subplots, including the rivalry between Todd and Davy Prentiss Jr. (Nick Jonas). Additionally, Liman includes some quite disturbing scenes of animal cruelty. Ben Seresin’s unimpressive cinematography is incredibly repetitive, with aerial shots of a forest appearing to be his go-to.
Despite the many flaws, “Chaos Walking” features a pleasant score from Marco Beltrami and Brandon Roberts. It also includes visual aspects (mostly set and costume design), and a balanced mix of rustic western and futuristic design.
People who have seen the film may say that “Chaos Walking” is about walking, and not much else. A majority of Todd and Viola’s scenes consist of just walking through unexplored forests on their way to her ship. Considering the two incredible leads, the chemistry between them is flat and feels somewhat forced. ‘The noise’ emitted by the male characters also seems to be one of the only things that keeps the plot moving; it either reveals a secret or that character’s desires. Despite Holland and Mikkelsen being the powerhouses they are, unfortunately, not even their performances can salvage “Chaos Walking.”
The end of the film does suggest that Lionsgate was hoping for a rave reaction from audiences, but that’s not the case. With a 2.6 star-average on Letterboxd and 5.8/10 on IMDb, it’s safe to say a sequel isn’t one of Lionsgate’s main priorities.
If you were to compare “Chaos Walking” to the source material, it’s certainly a more light-hearted take on the books. The film doesn’t deal with the heavy themes the books do—such as gender politics, redemption, human nature, and the line between good and evil. It mildly focuses on secrecy, and whether knowing the truth is better than believing lies. You could also suggest being constantly surrounded by your own gender and hearing their thoughts would drive some people crazy.
“Chaos Walking” certainly isn’t going to be Lionsgate’s new cash cow, and the $100 million price tag might be a struggle to earn back. But if you’re a fan of Ness’ books or a Doug Liman fan, the film should be on your watchlist; just don’t expect a gripping story filled with emotion or complexity.
