"I am the future." - Thgil
An artificial intelligence visits Earth to eliminate all the evil people.
Starring: Neil Breen, Kathy Corpus, Chaize Macklin, Abraham Rodriguez, a tiger
Link to IMDB
Somewhere in America's southern desert we see a hopeless man on the edge of death, addicted to drugs and living in a burned-out old car. This man becomes the vessel of an Artificial Intelligence (depicted as a red light) from the distant future that has arrived on Earth to help humanity. The evil that the A.I. first witnesses is the mishandling of illegal immigrants trying to cross the border. They are held captive by a group of drug smugglers, and poorly treated as they're forced to huddle together in tiny rooms for the rest of the movie.
Amanda and Kim are two ladies that have escaped the smugglers, and as they run through the desert they meet the man now controlled by the A.I. from outer space.
The A.I. has chosen the name Thgil (which is "light" backwards,) and helping the two young women will be his first step in saving humanity. It takes some convincing though, because to them he just looks like a crazy desert hobo sleeping on a shit-stained mattress.
There's also a subplot about a group of youngsters and an elderly professor tracking a cosmological event that we can assume was the arrival of Thgil. I'm not sure why they're in the movie, but it adds another perspective to the importance of Thgil's mission... or something.
"For when you are at that center within you, I am that place within me." - Thgil
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| Amanda & Kim Old Professor Guy |
Out of his four films, I'd say this one has the least amount of plot, which is saying a lot because Breen rarely focuses on plot to begin with. The first half consists mostly of Thgil napping in the dirt, visiting a mystical tiger, and daydreaming about how all life is connected and we must evolve in order to save our species. These peaceful moments are balanced by seeing the immigrants continuously threatened and beaten.
The second half is when Thgil decides to take action. Instead of saving a handful of people in the desert, he must save the whole world, and so he hijacks a global news channel to broadcast his plan of eliminating the evil politicians and corporate scum that are ruining humanity!
In a lot of ways this could be seen as a sequel and/or retelling of Breen's other film, I am Here....Now.
There's plenty of abstract metaphors and symbolism that Breen loves to use, as he once again plays a Christ-like figure wandering around in the desert, delivering a warning to humankind to stop their evil ways.
I don't expect a linear story with a Breen film, but unfortunately the plot here often gets replaced with a political message that's lacking any subtlety, and the point-blank delivery comes across as Breen preaching the same ideas that he's already conveyed more entertainingly in his past movies.
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| A special report from Thgil |
Okay, that problem aside this is still a fun Breen experience that boggles the mind. Wonderfully awkward and yet always reaching for the profound, Breen continues to make his movies with no regard for rules or logic, undeterred in his attempts at being thought-provoking.
I am excited to see that his next film promises to step away from repeating the ideas and themes he's already explored over and over. Until then, I think I need to re-watch Pass Thru a few dozen times and try to solve what the heck was going on.
Be sure not to miss:
- Kim is Amanda's niece?
- Breen has the same dirt on his face for most of the movie. Great, but completely unnecessary continuity.
- The trailer cleaning scene.
- The infamous vest from Double Down makes an appearance.
Internet review:
"Breen is definitely onto something here, I’m just not sure what it is." - JakeT
Should I watch it?
Essential viewing for Breen fans, but newcomers should watch his older stuff first.
Where can I find it?
You might find some download links here.
Pass Thru gets...
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