Maybe
what some people call fate is really just chronic, centuries-spanning
stupidity. That is basically the whole point of this film. In life after reincarnated
life, Agnes keeps falling in love with Alex and it always ends really, really
badly—or worse. Yet, she repeatedly makes the same awful decisions in screenwriter-director
Alice Lowe’s Timestalker, which releases today in theaters and on-demand.
Frankly,
Alex probably peaked during his first meeting with Agnes, in 1680 Scotland. He
was quite taken with her, but she still dies throughout an unlikely accident.
Still, you can see why she might want a do-over. However, Alex the 1790s
English highwayman is a slimy user. So is Alex the fading 1980s New Wave pop
star. Unfortunately, these are the two time periods Lowe devotes the most time
to.
In each
of her lives, Agnes quickly recognizes Alex as her man of destiny. Yet, she
never seems to mean anything to him. However, the Iago-like Scipio appears to understand
Agnes’ fateful dilemma, at least to a partial extent.
Timestalker
is sort of like
the Orlando spoof we never knew we needed, because we obviously didn’t. Lowe
had much more success translating British “kitchen sink” aesthetics into genre
films like Prevenge and Sightseers, which she co-wrote Ben
Wheatley. This time around, she leans into cringe, with swiftly declining
marginal returns.
At
times, Lowe captures a hint of cosmic mystery, but what the film does best is
simply reminding viewers how Sally Potter’s Orlando is such a better
film. Perhaps, part of the problem is a structural imbalance. The narrative
spends too much time in 1790 and the unspecified early 1980s, while the 1940s
and futuristic segments are sketchy in a tacked-on afterthought kind of way.
A telecom/internet company that actually provides good service? This is indeed the stuff of speculative fantasy. In the
case of the very fictional Smyle broadband company, it is really just Gus
Roberts, who is such a crackerjack installation and repair specialist. Yet, his
true calling is the investigation of the paranormal. He (and his paltry online
followers) never really witnessed much until he was partnered up with rookie “Elton
John.” Suddenly, the two technicians are constantly confronting ghosts during
their wifi repairs in writer-creators Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Nat Saunders
& James Serafinowicz’s 8-episode Truth Seekers, which premieres this
Friday on Amazon Prime.
Fixing cable and boosting signals comes so
effortlessly to Roberts, it leaves him plenty of time for his internet show, Truth
Seekers, but so far, hardly anyone has found time to watch. His appreciative
boss Dave hopes some of his magic will rub off on an unpromising recruit, Elton
John (that’s a recurring joke, as you might have guessed). Lo and behold, as
soon as they make a service call at the quaint cottage of Connolly’s Nook, they
start hearing ghostly noises and even discover a secret room.
Once is enough for “John,” but Roberts
convinces him to come back the next day. Their assignment will be the Portland Beacon,
a cheesy “haunted” hotel that is completely phony—except when they arrive, the supernatural
activity goes off the scale. This all still freaks out John, but he still forges
a friendship and comradery with Roberts. He will also take a personal interest
in their next case. That would be their stowaway, Astrid, a young woman chased
by legitimately scary looking specters.
Frankly, the writing of the supernatural stuff
is probably sharper than the comic material in Truth Seekers. A lot of
it is surprisingly inventive, especially the way elements of the second episode,
which largely feels like a one-off, become important again as the grand
conspiracy comes to light in later installments. The comedy is hit-or-miss, but
it is mostly rather muted, except for some awkward old guy slapstick from
Roberts’ old man, played to the crotchety hilt by Malcolm McDowell (a.k.a. Mick
Travis, H.G. Wells, or Caligula). A little of John’s agoraphobic fangirl sister
fangirl sister Helen also goes along way.
Fortunately, the buddy chemistry between
Roberts and John is always genial and unforced. Nick Frost and Samson Kayo play
off each other nicely, in an upbeat manner, expressing malice for none. That is
true for the show in general. In fact, the character of Roberts and Frost’s
portrayal of him are quite refreshing, because they never mock him as an anti-social
“lone gunman” nut-case. Instead, he is a highly productive member of society, who
is keenly aware of his status in the online ecosystem, but keeps plugging away
with Truth Seekers, out of a passion for the truth. He is also
tragically widowed—a fact that will have later significance.
