The Lights
Genre: Sci-Fi/Drama
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Writer: Sammy-Jo Ellis
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Bill Skarsgard, Emile Hirsch, Kelsey Asbille, Alan Ritchson, Murray Bartlett, Josefin Asplund, Mikael Persbrandt
Plot: 2049. Erik Bowie (Alden Ehrenreich) lies in the abyss of space as his eyes glow white, drifting away from his shuttle. He takes deep, cold breaths as he is sure his life is due to end. Erik closes his eyes tight, reminiscing on a night a many 16 years earlier.
2033. Erik and his brother Cal watch as Dr Hugo Shaw (Murray Bartlett) hosts a press conference following the announcement that his company ECHO will be looking at exploring Mars, with a man led mission. Erik looks to his brother in excitement, telling him that will be him one day. Cal looks back, “You’re gonna be a spaceman?” Erik looks back, a glow in his eyes, “No, I’m going to be the greatest spaceman”
2049. Erik reaches up and takes his helmet off as an array of colours draws him in, a smile forming on his face.
Erik opens his eyes wide and sits up in a sweat. Mila Kaine (Kelsey Asbille), a friend of Erik rushes by his side to comfort him. Erik is confused and Mila proceeds to explain; Erik’s shuttle burnt out before je landed on mars, but he managed to eject. He is lucky that Cal was in the Space Station and was able to organise an impossible rescue mission, in large part thanks to Hoyt Harper (Alan Ritchson). Erik was aware of Harper. Cocksure but charming. Rubbed Erik the wrong way. Erik asks Mila how long he's been out to which she replies six months. Erik is surprised but suddenly has a more pressing question; "What about The Lights?" Mila looks confused when Dr Hugo Shaw enters. "Thank you Mila. Hello Erik. Let us talk about The Lights?"
Erik and Dr Shaw sit in concentrated silence as all Erik can think of is the spectrum of colours he didn't know existed, racing through his eyes...WAIT! Who was he? "What were these lights?" Inquires Dr Shaw with a certain sleaze. "Bright" remarked Erik with a sting. At this moment Cal (Emile Hirsch) enters and hugs his brother. Dr Shaw says he'll let them get reacquainted and he will talk to Erik again soon. Cal says he is happy to see his brother well again before Erik replies in kind, also thanking Cal for saving him in space. Cal shows confusion at this statement but doesn't prod whatever bothered him, instead the brothers talk for hours, catching up and reminiscing. Cal eventually brings up that ECHO are planning a second mission to Mars led by Hoyt Harper. Erik is stunned. Cal follows up saying that he'll be lead engineer. Erik looks at his brother with an unidentifiable emotion; "You'll die if you try." A silence lingers in the room before Cal tells him he must be going now, not really taking in what he had just said.
Erik has left the hospital and was staying with Mila Kaine to make sure someone was on hand if he were to...Relapse? Erik would've stayed with his brother Cal but they hadn't really spoke over the last two weeks due to Erik's statement the last time they were face to face.
In an ECHO meeting Cal brings up some concerns, concerns that had rattled his brain since his conversation with Erik. Hoyt manages to downplay the concerns before asking Cal privately if he wants to see him fail. Cal laughs it off, saying this mission almost killed his brother so of course he wants to take precautions. Cal instead directs his concerns to Dr Shaw. Dr Shaw laughs it off nervously, promising to triple check procedures. He reminds Cal that what happened with his brother is a 1 in a million occurrence.
Erik and Mila are sharing dinner at this time and talk about Cal's mission and with-it Erik's concerns. Erik talks about his experience. How he saw a spectrum of colours in a man’s eyes whilst in the abyss of space. Mia pauses; "You were alone and found on the surface of Mars..." Erik looks up. This made no sense. "Erik...What did you see?"
"I don't know..."
The date is fast approaching as ECHO look to launch their mission to Mars. Hoyt Harper has taken himself to the media to present himself as the hero who'll be the first man to walk on "The Red Planet." Cal continues to have looming concerns about the whole mission, unable to fight that his brother may be on to something. Dr Hugo Shaw continues to push the mission as a god send. Erik and Mila take to their own mission as they sneak into ECHO and explore to see if they can come across any information on Erik's own journey to Mars. They come across a file though it doesn't reveal much until the end; "The Martian Lives." Mila looks to Erik who seems to of accepted some sort of truth. Mila tells Erik they have to stop the launch. Erik agrees as a fear builds. He feels the colours. He sees the colours. Erik sees The Martian.
Launch day. Erik and Mila arrive just as Cal is getting ready to board. Cal is mad, telling Erik he doesn't want to hear about the lights. Erik grabs his brother when a bright pink flare blasts from his hand, leaving Cal in a trance. Mila stares in a disturbed wonder as Erik struggles to comprehend what he just did. He knows however that he must get on that rocket. Erik takes Cal's space suit and leaves his brother in the care of Mila. No one notices as the launch is seen a success though Dr Hugo Shaw nerves remain. Hoyt Harper comes to find Erik and the two get in to a scuffle where Erik unintentionally knocks Harper out, his head hitting the side of the ship. The ship’s voiceover tells Erik that they approaching Mars’ atmosphere. He drags the limp body of Hoyt to a chair and straps him in, before strapping himself in. They land on Mars and Erik feels a pull to the Mars surface. The lights fill his vision before The Martian comes in to view. The Martian (Bill Skarsgard) stands to attention when he sees Erik exit the shuttle. Erik is exhausted but focused; "You're The Martian..." A confusion falls across The Martian's face..."I'm not a Martian...My name is Niko Glass and I want to go home!"
Erik Bowie and Niko Glass stand, staring at each other. Almost as if amazed the other one existed. It took three days for Erik Bowie to arrive on Mars. In this time on Earth, Dr Hugo Shaw had found out of Erik Bowie boarding the shuttle in his brother's place but saw no use in informing Hoyt Harper as he felt his fate was already sealed. Cal was recovering in hospital with Mila Kaine by his side. Cal asked Mila where Erik was to which Mila confirmed what he thought would be the answer. Mila couldn't hide her curiosity and had to ask; "What did that light do?" Cal paused. He looked at Mila with a safety in his eyes. "I just felt a rush of love and care." Mila looked in adoration.
On Mars, Erik and Niko Glass hadn't said much between them until Erik decided to break the silence; What are the lights?!" Glass looked at Erik with a glow vibrating off him. "Let me tell you a story..."
2036. Everyone wanted to land on Mars but seemed to fall at the final hurdle. These efforts began getting negative press when Japan failed a launch that killed 23 people. However, somewhere in Scandinavia, a man called Warren Dolberg (Mikael Persbrandt) had found a way. He entrusted young astronaut Niko Glass to ascend in a specially built capsule, allowing him to be the first man to walk on Mars and for Dolberg to become an international threat in the cosmic realm and further explore "The Cosmos."
Glass spent one last night with his wife Nora (Josefin Asplund), who tried to convince him against the mission, but Niko was smitten with the idea. The Scandinavian Hero. However, the capsule would burnout and crash due to a technical era. The unannounced mission was swept under the rug. Glass was assumed dead. Nora was encouraged by Dolberg to move on. Glass remembers waking up on Mars. He could breath. He could walk. But most of all he could feel every feeling. Especially those of his wife Nora, a great loss coming from her the catalyst for the Martian air to seemingly mutate Glass as he began creating colours to represent the emotional spectrum, or better known now as "The Lights." Erik had seen them. He now knew their story. He now knew he was one with "The Lights."
Erik looks to Glass with a glow of innocence in his eyes. "I'll get you home." Glass looks up as a warm blue begins to fade from bright yellow glow, his grief turning to joy.
Niko sees his wife for a moment. Wonders if she'll remember him. If she had moved on. He glows a pink shimmer with red steam coming off. Erik looked at Glass and told him they should just focus on the journey home. Erik looks at Glass again with a curiosity and asks if he believes they are empaths. Glass sighed a little laugh; "How do you think I got you to find me?" Erik started to bubble with anger as he started to let off a red glow. "So you tricked me? You tricked me into potential suicide mission and all you can do is sigh and laugh?!" Glass started to buzz a dying blue as he offered Erik a apology, that while genuine and true, still irked Erik. "I blasted my brother with a pink light.. What did I do?" Glass steadies. "You showed him unquestionably everything you could ever love about him." Erik smiles. "Let's go home."
Erik looked forward to returning home. They were so close. He closed his eyes and saw Mila in a burning pink glow before quickly reopening them. Niko smiled. "You got a girl back home to huh?" Erik smiles back. "Just got some people I'm looking forward to seeing" Niko stares intensely at Erik. "What year did you say it is?!" Erik tells him it’s the year 2049, he had been gone for a very long time.
2052. Returning to Earth was a more sobering experience for Erik and Glass then they thought it would be. Between them Erik and Glass had done the math on how much time had passed. 30 months. Three and a half years. "I've been gone for fifteen years..." sobs Glass as Erik consoles him. The two look out into the field they landed in as a swarm of Black SUVs swarm around them. Erik and Glass allow Harper Hoyt to walk before them, he is praised as the first man to walk on Mars. The attention then turns to Erik and Glass. Glass’ body being changed from Mars has reporters all on edge. A black hue surrounds Glass as he feels fear. Erik asks him what he is scared of. Glass tells him he is scared of the unknown. Erik reminds him that no matter what they will be with The Lights and The Lights will be with them. Glass is asked what he is. He answers that he is human, just like them, and he has been on Mars for the past 15 years. He continues in saying it has transformed both him and Erik. Glass then mentions Nora, as he glows pink. Erik too glows pink at the sight of Mila, a smile across his face. She runs into his arms as Cal and Dr Shaw look on.
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