EARTHRISE is a fantastic scifi thriller that keeps the mystery and the tension high! Another reviewer referenced Solaris and I think they're right, but I'd add Event Horizon and Sunshine into that cocktail of scary, mind-bending futuristic horror that unfolds in the last frontier... space. I loved the design of both the story and the production. The direction was solid and pace was perfect. I also thought the cast did an excellent job. If you're a fan of scifi, then you know how hard it is to find a good one to watch... well look no further. Earthrise is a must see! GREAT JOB!

Science fiction is about ideas. And if it's got a good idea I can easily forgive budget limitations. Earthrise has quite a good idea. Three people who have spent their lives on Mars are undertaking the long, mentally exhausting and psychologically stressful voyage back to earth, which they anticipate with the very same awe and excitement that we on earth currently have about Mars. For a low budget film it has professional lighting, sound and what I thought were cool, resourceful special effects. The acting by the three leads is generally solid and heartfelt. The movie does a good job of jumping around in time to show through revealing interviews how they were chosen for the trip in the first place and potential conflicts that might arise on their journey. The one area that is noticeably low budget and not always terribly convincing is set design. But the story always held my interest, the production has conviction and I found the climactic scene and its creative use of a single sound effect we often take for granted to be beautiful.

Earthrise is a high concept science fiction indie thriller. I absolutely love the idea of characters on a voyage to earth, to their "home", for the first time. The idea of humans having to leave the earth is all to real, so a look into this possible future is a fun idea for the overlapping concept of Earthrise. What happens to the characters on their journey home is another thing altogether (thats the focus of the movie, not earth itself). The thing that creeps me out personally of space horror is the idea of complete isolation- stuck on a spaceship, there is truly nowhere to go. The movie has a very slow build to the characters breakdown and the twisted ending. The camera work/effects are fitting for the flick and the cast shines. Overall, I recommend for anyone looking for a slow burn sci-fi thriller.

When I heard the budget that this film was produced on, I couldn't believe the quality of the final product. The sets were very well designed and constructed, the storyline was compelling, the principal actors turned out excellent performances (Casey Dillard was especially dynamic), and the overall impression was that of a very polished film with a significantly larger budget than what they actually had. The ship model itself was impressive. It reminded me of the models used in some of the epic sci-fi pictures of the past (think Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, etc.,.) The original musical score by Ash Williams complimented the action nicely and really helped to heighten the suspense. Mr. Payne and crew did an astounding job, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from them.