When critics and fans complain about the glut of superhero movies, they aren’t talking about films like “Fast Color.” In contrast to the oft-bloated, big-budget blockbusters from Marvel and DC that now take over the marquee at the multiplex multiple times a year – filled with product placement, merchandise tie-ins (a Black Widow banana, anyone?), and numerous A-list stars – this new film is a small, character-driven piece, even though it’s still about a superhero. With “Fast Color,” director Julia Hart departs from her 2016 debut, “Miss Stevens,” switching from gentle comedy mode to the realm of indie sci-fi with ease.
Even the heroine here is different than the comic book kings and queens who often rule the screen: Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) goes by her own name, doesn’t wear a costume, and fights inner demons that feel like real problems, rather than simply battling a supervillain intent on global (or universal) destruction. The Earth appears to be doing a pretty good job of handling its own demise; it hasn’t rained in eight years, and water is scarce and sold at a premium. Ruth is on the run through a barren, quiet part of the U.S., and it’s initially unclear who she’s trying to escape and why. But soon, it’s obvious that Ruth has mysterious superpowers, and the only safe place for her to go is home, where her estranged mother, Bo (Lorraine Toussaint), and daughter Lila (Saniyya Sidney) have made a life without her. Those who hunt her are closing in, and though she has the help of the local sheriff (David Strathairn), Ruth has to decide if staying is worth the risk to her family.
READ MORE: ‘Fast Color’ Trailer: Gugu Mbatha-Raw Stars In A New Spin On The Superhero Genre
Beyond those external forces that are a danger to Ruth, self-destruction is the biggest threat to her and those who love her most. Her superpowers are an issue, but they’re paired with problems that face everyday people, making “Fast Color” feel grounded in the real world despite its supernatural and near-future elements. The special effects are used sparingly, but to great execution and effect. Hart, who co-wrote the film with her husband, Jordan Horowitz, gives details about the world that make it believable, particularly in the work around the pervasive water crisis.
But that script is where “Fast Color” occasionally stumbles. Hart and Horowitz do a good job of world-building, but plot and character occasionally feel underdeveloped. It’s unclear whether the issue lies solely in the script or if editing is the culprit, but there are key moments that feel like they’re missing. If this were based on a comic book, you’d worry that someone had torn out pages throughout.
There’s real joy in seeing a Black woman superhero leading a film, even if it’s not a big studio one. Mbatha-Raw is an actress that I just keep expecting to be bigger than she is. Since breaking out with “Belle” and “Beyond the Lights,” she’s had small roles in notable movies like “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Wrinkle in Time,” but there hasn’t been another part that has really elevated her to the larger public consciousness as she so sorely deserves. The actress does her best to build out an underwritten character here, and it’s especially fun when she, Toussaint, and the young actress Sidney are all on screen together.
There should be more films like “Fast Color.” Movies that demonstrate that you don’t need a giant budget or decades of established IP to do superhero or sci-fi well on the big screen. Its final scene hints at the possibility of a sequel, and I hope Hart gets the chance to further flesh out the script for its follow-up. There’s the promise of a great movie here, a height that “Fast Color” almost reaches. [B+]
