Fast Color

Fast Color is a 2018 American superhero film directed by Julia Hart from a screenplay by Hart and Jordan Horowitz. It stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney, Christopher Denham, and David Strathairn.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as Ruth, a woman with supernatural powers on the run from law enforcement and scientists who want to study and control her.

The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2018. It was released on April 19, 2019, by Codeblack Films.

Plot
In the future American Midwest, where it has not rained for eight years, Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a homeless wanderer whose seizures trigger supernatural earthquakes. As she travels to her old family home, she meets Bill (Christopher Denham), a diner customer who is actually a scientist attempting to capture Ruth for study. Bill tricks her into accepting a ride with him then attempts to draw blood samples from her, but Ruth wounds him and flees in the direction of her home. Bill is forced to abandon his vehicle to seek medical aid, where it catches the attention of the local sheriff Ellis (David Strathairn).

Arriving at the home, Ruth reunites with her mother Bo (Lorraine Toussaint), who has the ability to telekinetically disintegrate objects, reassemble them, and see vibrant flashes known as "the colors". Bo has been taking care of Ruth's daughter Lila (Saniyya Sidney), who has the same powers as Bo and has no memories of her mother. After Ruth accidentally sets off another earthquake, Lila is introduced to her and they explain that Ruth's powers deteriorated in her childhood, becoming destructive and causing her to abandon her family.

Lila and Bo attempt to train Ruth on reconnecting with her old powers, while the scientist and the sheriff investigate Ruth's trail. When Ellis discerns Ruth is back home, he covertly signals Bo, his longtime friend and lover, to warn her about the scientist that is searching for their daughter. The next morning, Bill begins heading for the women's house, and Ruth takes off in the family truck to escape him, leaving Bo and Lila behind. When she exits miles later for gasoline, her seizures return. Ruth relives the memory of her nearly drowning her then-infant daughter during a past episode, and then of saving her life, emotionally healing and causing the sky to rain again.

Ruth returns home, where Ellis informs her that Bill and his accomplices kidnapped Lila. Ruth goes to rescue her, followed by Ellis and Bo. At the sheriff's office where Lila is being held, Ruth creates a storm and panics Bill and his guards. Bo offers herself to the scientists in exchange for Lila, who is reunited with her mother. The two escape in the truck, and find a note from Bo telling them to head for Rome to find another woman with powers that she used to know.

Cast
 Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ruth
 Aliza Halm as young Ruth
 Lorraine Toussaint as Bo
 Saniyya Sidney as Lila, Ruth's daughter
 Christopher Denham as Bill
 David Strathairn as Ellis
 Levi Dylan Martinez as Henry

Production
In January 2017, it was announced Gugu Mbatha-Raw had joined the cast of the film, with Julia Hart directing, from a screenplay written by Hart and Jordan Horowitz. Horowitz, Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon will produce under their Original Headquarters and LD Entertainment banners, respectively. In March 2017, Lorraine Toussaint, David Strathairn, Saniyya Sidney, and Christopher Denham joined the cast of the film.

Filming
Principal photography began in New Mexico on March 13, 2017.

Release
The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2018. Shortly after, Codeblack Films acquired distribution rights to the film and set it for a March 29, 2019, release. It was then pushed back to April 19, 2019.

Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 82 reviews, and an average rating of 6.81/10. The website's critic consensus states: "A grounded superhero story with more on its mind than punching bad guys, Fast Color leaps over uneven execution with a single Gugu Mbatha-Raw performance". On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 64% based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Television series
As of 2019, a TV series based on the film was in development at Amazon Studios. The show is set to be produced by Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's company JuVee Productions, with the return of the film's writers Julia Hart and Jordan Horowitz.

See also
List of black films of the 2010s

References

External links
 
  
  
 

Category:2018 films
Category:2010s science fiction films
Category:2010s superhero films
Category:American films
Category:American superhero films
Category:American science fiction thriller films
Category:American thriller drama films
Category:American independent films
Category:Dystopian films
Category:Films about families
Category:Films set in the future
Category:Films set in the United States
Category:Films shot in New Mexico
Category:LD Entertainment films
Category:Films directed by Julia Hart
Category:2010s supernatural films