FUTRA DAYS (2024)

3 stars

Reel 2 Reel Films. Digital. 21st July

FUTRA DAYS is one off those films with a clever concept, which is too complicated and talky, without a seeming point – except exploring different ways a couple can treat each other, via the use of some kind of time travel device.

Sean (Brandon Sklenar, recently seen DROP) is in a diner talking to his friend Jesse (Jordan Christian Hearn) about how it feels to time travel. Jesse claims he has been to the future but Sean thinks he’s making it up. 

However Sean decides to visit Lage Door, which is some kind of research programme and meets Dr Felicia Walter (Rosanna Arquette). Sean told Jesse about meeting a girl in a clothing store. He wants to know if it’s worth getting involved with her. Which seems a bit of a drastic way of finding out.

We also see the girl, Nichole Chase (Tania Raymonde), talking with the scientist separately.

Strapped into a gizmo being run by Dr Walter and her assistant Sheila. Talking about Nichole, he wants to know her – but he has been hurt in love before – so he plans to time travel. Cue lots of whizzy on-screen graphics 

Things are initially confusing as to what is going on.

He arrives in the future and starts spying on himself. Nichole and future Sean appear to be having an argument with him leaving. Past Sean sees this as an opportunity – he decides to pay an angry Nichole a visit, claiming he decided not to leave and they get passionate. 

Their relationship improves. Except he can’t remember certain things – as they were the future Sean, not him. Odd things start to happen the longer he stays. Time fractures? Plus strange visions. 

And then future Sean returns…

At one point a character says ‘you’re not making any sense’. I felt that way about this to be fair, with way too much dialogue and a pretentious sounding voiceover. Having said that both leads are good especially Raymonde. I am not sure the plot, such as it was, bears too much thinking about as plotholes would pop up as it ambles along with little actual narrative. Random intercut footage is interspersed for no good reason. This was produced written and directed by Ryan David.

Steve Kirkham