Indie Film "Fast Color" Is the Superhero Film More Studios Should Be Producing

Looking for films directed by women in 2019, I came across a review for a film released in April of which I had never heard. No commercials. No social media. Nothing. I watched the trailer and read the review and wondered why no one I knew or followed on social media was talking about director Julia Hart’s film Fast Color. I mean…it’s a superhero movie, of sorts. I don’t like superhero movies. They bore me, to be honest. However, reading the review, it's clear this film is not your typical “superhero film”, which is probably why I desperately want to see it.

Fast Color is the story of three generations of women. Ruth, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, is forced to leave her home, mother (Lorraine Toussaint), and daughter (Saniyya Sidney) when her powers become unstable. Set in a dystopian American West where it has stopped raining, Ruth’s powers seem to be connected to the planet’s strife. But she’s not alone; both her mother and daughter have supernatural abilities as well. When Ruth returns, the world is on the brink of death. The film, while containing supernatural elements, is mostly a story about three women, their abilities, and the relationships between them that need to be repaired as much as the dying planet.

It doesn’t have capes, huge CGI effects, or explosions, instead Fast Color comments on mother/daughter relationships and the power of women in a world that’s losing its link to Mother Nature.

The film’s limited release, as well as the lack of marketing, are mostly to blame for low audience awareness. While the film is in limited release, I encourage those who enjoy stories about women, the supernatural, and dystopian futures to find a way to watch it. I know I will.