"The Fix" (2024) [Chattanooga Film Festival]

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Kelsey Egan’s dystopian tale, The Fix, courtesy of the Chattanooga Film Festival.

Synopsis

In a dystopian future where air is toxic, troubled young model Ella (Grace Van Dien) takes an illicit new drug at a party and suffers a shocking transformation. Pursued by forces with competing interests in the drug’s effects, she discovers that her mutations could save the human race.

The Good

Joseph: No one can accuse South African body horror/sci-fi actioner The Fix of being a slow-burner. After an introduction to the “woe is me” life of model Ella, writer/director Egan kicks things off at a brisk pace that builds into breakneck. The practical and visual effects look terrific, including Ella’s transformation. Van Dien, who also appears in the 2024 Chattanooga Film Festival offering Somnium (which we reviewed here), makes for a fine lead.

Mike: As an avid comic book reader and collector, I’ve seen my share of superhero origins and The Fix plays out exactly like one, and I mean that as a compliment.

Fusing a dystopian future where fresh air is a commodity ripe for corporate abuse, Egan does some quick and effective world building that divides society in familiar roles of haves and have-nots, where drugs to offset the poisoned air are expensive and hard to get for the average members of society. Throw in plenty of medical grade masks and things don’t look too far removed from 2020.

There are some top-notch effects as Van Dien undergoes changes to her physiology, which I don’t want to spoil, as well as cool cell phones and other day-to-day gadgets that look like something out of HBO’s “Westworld”.

Egan builds tension nicely when and where it’s needed with some entertaining action sequences including chases and fights.

The Bad

Joseph: Storywise, most viewers of dystopian science fiction and, as Mike pointed out, superhero origin stories will have seen everything before. From the protagonist who feels out of place in their world who is accidentally given the simultaneous burden and blessing of a mutant ability or other super power to the villainous, megalomaniacal perverter/exploiter of scientific breakthroughs, to the futuristic dystopian setting where only the rich can afford whatever the solution to the problem is, the tropes are all here without any new twists or plays on them. The characterization beyond Ella and the nogoodnik O’Connors (Daniel Sharman) is at a minimum.

Mike: The weakest aspect of The Fix is that the characterization takes a bit of a backseat to the world building and action. Aside from Van Dien who gets the lion’s share of room to bring her character, Ella, to life, everyone else comes across as a bit of a one-note NPC (although our main villain displays a few daddy issues when confronted by his father and his own son, so there’s something, I suppose). There’s also a lot to take in very quickly with blink and you’ll miss it relationships insofar as who knows who and what their roles are.

The Verdict

Joseph: Fans of the elements that I described in “The Bad” who can overlook those points because of the briskly paced action and other positive qualities that I described in “The Good” should have a rollicking time with the well-directed and impressively edited The Fix. For some other viewers, the film might be more of a “Yes, I saw it; good, but not great” experience. Certainly worth a watch for curious science fiction and body horror fans.

Mike: Egan has created a wonderful origin story for a superhero, whether it was the intention or not. Well done effects will trick you into thinking this was done using a lot more money than it probably was with some effective make-up and stunt work.

Once things move beyond the first act they pick up speed and never really slow down. As a result The Fix is a little shallow on the character building, but Egan still manages an impressive amount of world building while throwing in plenty of action and tension along with a bit of body-horror.

Recommended for genre fans who don’t mind a few thin characters as long as there’s some kick-ass action sequences to make up for it.