USA Network's hit psychological thriller “Mr. Robot” returns Wednesday, July 13.
Its innovative visual language and anxious intelligence help make it one of the best shows on television. These qualities come most directly from the show’s creator, Sam Esmail. That one-of-a-kind mix can be found in embryonic form in Esmail’s first film, “Comet,” which was released in 2014.
“Comet” is a love story between a dour man named Dell and an effervescent woman named Kimberly. The film follows their relationship throughout the course of six years. They fall in and out of love, and change for the better for having known each other.
This movie shares a lot of stylistic traits with “Mr. Robot.” This is apparent from the first shot, which places Dell in the far right of the frame. That’s a trademark of Esmail’s TV show, which often places characters at the edges of the frame. This is done throughout “Comet,” and it gives your eyes a good workout as you focus on Dell and Kimberly.
Dell is similar to Elliot, the protagonist of “Mr. Robot.” Both men are intelligent and have trouble interacting with people. This movie starts with an unseen Dell saying something over a black screen, which is how the pilot of “Mr. Robot” began.
But you shouldn’t watch “Comet” just to see its similarities to Esmail’s later work. It’s a delightful and daring film that is enjoyable if you don’t know anything about “Mr. Robot.”
It’s like what would happen if Stanley Kubrick directed a film from a script by Woody Allen and had Michel Gondry as his cinematographer.
The use of lighting gives many of the shots a dreamlike feel. The blue lighting of a sequence set in a hotel room in Paris is exquisite. Lighting is normally something that doesn’t draw attention to itself in a film, but the dramatic lighting helps create this film’s beauty.
The stunning imagery matches the film’s distinctive setting. “Comet” takes place in a parallel universe, “a few parallel universes over” to be exact.
This simple yet ambitious decision heightens the reality of this film and makes it stand out from most films about couples.
This movie features many scenes with just Dell and Kimberly talking. There are not many supporting characters, but I was so focused on their relationship that I didn’t care.
Justin Long is hilarious and surprisingly affecting as Dell.
Emmy Rossum is one of the most engaging female leads I’ve seen in a while. A scene where she sings along to a song in her car is a comic highlight.
“Comet” is a great introduction to Esmail’s narrative voice. It features some of the traits that would later make “Mr. Robot” a phenomenon while standing on its own as an idiosyncratic film.
It's available on Netflix and is certainly worth the 91 minutes of your time.
jpastern@indiana.edu | @jessepasternack
