Source Code

Coming off his critically acclaimed debut feature-film Moon, Duncan Jones thrust himself into the cinematic landscape as one of the new brilliant directorial minds in the science fiction genre. Laden with the onus of such lofty expectations, his second feature, Source Code does not disappoint.

Source Code tells the story of Army Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) who wakes up riding a commuter train to Chicago in an unknown man’s body. He later realizes that he is part of an experimental military program known as the “Source Code” to get into the mind of a person that had died from a bombing on the train. He then tries to figure out who planted the bomb before the perpetrator pulls off another attack that could kill millions of the Windy City’s inhabitants.

Although the seemingly ridiculous premise may put off certain cinephiles, Source Code fulfills and arguably exceeds expectations. The cinematography of the film, very much reminiscent of Moon, is relatively simple yet effective in establishing the appropriate mood for various segments of the story. Gyllenhaal establishes an empathetic connection with the audience early on and carries the film through its more questionable screenplay choices. Some of the logical steps taken—without giving away any spoilers—during the course of the film’s plot are, upon further inspection, illogical and limit the strong performances of Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga. Although fundamentally a sci-fi thriller, the film realizes its true potential by transforming into an emotionally charged and thought-provoking drama towards its conclusion.

Through all of its twists and turns, this surprisingly enthralling second effort from Jones solidifies his spot as one of the bright, exciting minds not only of the sci-fi genre but of the film industry as a whole.