Naked Singularity Review: John Boyega Stars In A Messy Sci-Fi Legal Drama

Genre-hybrid movies are a delicate balancing act, as the integration of various tropes, if not executed in a seamless way, can feel off-kilter and derail an entire narrative. Notable examples of films that succeed in compelling genre-mashing are A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, which melds horror, Western, and romance, along with Baby Driver, which is both a heist film and a musical. First-time feature filmmaker Chase Palmer attempts to combine the tropes of legal drama, science fiction, and heist in Naked Singularity, which is an adaptation of Sergio De La Pava’s acclaimed 2013 novel of the same name. Despite its eccentric, confident tone, Naked Singularity suffers from an acute identity crisis, leaving viewers wishing for more substance by the end.

Naked Singularity hones its focus on Casi (John Boyega), a young, idealistic public defender who witnesses the world crumble around him in terms of the efficacy of the justice system. Despite his earnest efforts, Casi finds himself at loggerheads with unfair legal processes that he cannot singlehandedly combat or change, leaving him disillusioned by the basic tenets of the system with each passing day. Perennially in conflict with Judge Cymbeline (Linda Lavin) and in constant frustration due to the injustices faced by his clients, Casi comes to realize that his personal sense of justice might just be illusory, like a dream. Tangentially, a similar sense of despair grapples Lea (Olivia Cooke), a former client of Casi who is constantly on the lookout for a clean slate, as she is unable to shake the stigma of a minor drug offense in the past.

Stuck at a job she has no real passion for, Lea lives out her days trying to break through the matrix, culminating in questionable decisions, such as agreeing to help small-time thief Craig (Ed Skrein) steal a shipment of heroin from a powerful Mexican cartel after a Tinder hookup. While La Pava’s rendition of Lea is that of a smart, self-assured woman willing to push her limits in order to attain a new life, Palmer fails to imbue this character with the right amount of substance or backstory for viewers to be able to connect to her.

As Casi and Lea’s lives are intertwined yet again, the entanglement emits an element of inauthenticity that is difficult to shake off. As Naked Singularity’s legal framework bleeds into the realm of the surreal, the shift, while refreshing and fun at certain moments, hardly justifies the narrative in a tangible manner. While Casi’s stoner friend Angus (Tim Blake Nelson) attempts to stitch together these warring halves via theories about multiple worlds, the concept of singularity, and the event horizon that binds the “cosmic fabric”, the end result is only an unconvincing mixed bag of discordant elements.

There is also Casi’s fellow public defendant, Dave (Bill Skarsgård), who is a perplexing presence throughout, replete with quick coke snorts before a courtroom session and passionate declarations of rebellion and anarchy to right the wrongs that ail the world. Moreover, an ancient katana, dubious synchronicities, and outrageous plans mark the second half of the film. Boyega delivers a charming performance as the idealistic Casi, a working-class hero of sorts who does not feel overbearing at any point. However, Boyega’s endearing charm is not enough to salvage the disjointed vignettes of Naked Singularity, which sheds its skin a little too many times and does not quite know the kind of movie it wants to be.

While the heist subplot can potentially seem most exciting in terms of action and dialogue, the scenes and the denouement fall flat in terms of a sincere, grounded emotional center. All in all, Naked Singularity disappoints on many fronts, as it is the kind of film that holds the potential to bloom into unchartered arenas, but ultimately fails to walk the walk in significant ways.

Naked Singularity premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 9, 2021, and is available on VOD on August 13, 2021, courtesy of Screen Media Films. It is 93 minutes long and rated R for language throughout, some violence, sexual references, and drug use.

About The Author

Debopriyaa Dutta
(328 Articles Published)

Apart from being a features writer and critic at ScreenRant, Debopriyaa is a news writer at /Film. She is also a contributor to High on Films & Fansided, and an editor at Digital Mafia Talkies. Her poetry has been published in a wide array of journals, such as Gideon Poetry, White Noise Magazine, and Literaria. Find her on Twitter @angelusatani.

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