Oats Studios Knock It Out of the Park with Rakka

Rakka - Volume 1
Oats Studios
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Written by Neill Blomkamp and Thomas Sweterlitsch
Visit http://www.oatsstudios.com/ for more news and information.

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This amazing short film seems to be the first part in a series of online releases by the director of District 9, Neill Blomkamp, via his new experimental film studios, Oats Studios. From what I've read online, the idea behind the studio was to cater specifically to experimental science fiction filmmakers and writers to showcase talent where perhaps it otherwise would go overlooked by larger studios. If this initial release is to prove a weathervane for what's to come, then we are in for an amazing treat my friends.

Neill Blomkamp courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Photo by Natasha Baucas

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Rakka, written by Neill Blomkamp and Thomas Sweterlitsch and directed by Neill Blomkamp, is a post-apocalyptic film that centers around the invasion of a brutal alien regime. Unlike anything I've ever seen, the aliens possess morphing technology and devilish broods that can be unsettling as you watch the first seven minutes. The story has similarities to many different invasion films and novels written over the years, but don't let that dissuade you from watching it. It's not a stale film with layers of deftly blunt dialogue or shitty writing. The characters have a brevity within the short that lends to their appeal, because only so much can drip out each volume, and the world sits dense upon the retina.

If you can't tell by this point, I'll just say it: I love the film. It comes across as more of a series than a true short (not to mention the fact that the video has Volume 1 in the title), and the ending leaves enough of an impact to have you clicking that subscribe button like a modern day binge junky. I know I did.

My guess is that it will amount to a three or six part miniseries, which, in my opinion, is a better way of doing things. It gives directors a chance to expand on an idea that they would otherwise only get an hour and a half up to two hours at most to communicate to their audience in a traditional setting, while still allowing the story to end when and where it's appropriate. It seems as though Neill is attempting to foster a community unafraid to challenge science fiction in it's modern form and with what limitations larger studios or media companies might otherwise face with budget constraints among their various other projects. This is something Netflix should buddy up to, because with this quality of content and the help of such a powerhouse as Netflix in the streaming world, we just might never leave the couch again.

If you like Colony, or even if you thought it fell short of your expectations, let this new YouTube series soothe your sci-fi itch for the time being. It might even be better than Star Wars. Yeah, I said it. Come at me bro.

Or ...

You could just sit down, watch it, and thank me later.

-E.S. Brown