After an explosion destroys his asteroid mining ship Troy Holloway (Steven Ogg) wakes to find himself in an escape pod, the only survivor of the disaster. The pod's systems are damaged, he has no control over the craft, and it's heading towards the sun. His Mayday call is answered by Commander Roberts (Alice Lowe), and it's soon clear that she's the only person who can save him, but she only has around 75 minutes before he's beyond reach. Over an unreliable comms link Roberts assesses the situation and advises Holloway what needs to be done. Their initial relationship is bristly, but changes as the time decreases and they find out more about one another. Does Holloway want to be saved? And why does Roberts insist he does?
Lowe is never seen on screen, with all the action filmed inside the pod, and occasional breakaway shots to emphasise how very alone Holloway is. Leaving Ogg to carry the movie, which he does extremely well, and carries the audience with him throughout. As the pod gets nearer the sun the pod gets hotter and the tension steadily increases. We can feel the heat as the action progresses (or was that down to a packed cinema on a very hot evening...?) and final minutes of the film are as tense and involving as you could wish for.
For such a low budget product the set, and the special effects, are impressive. What I did find the score irritating, overly portentous and intrusive, which spoiled my enjoyment of an otherwise gripping piece of cinema, often damaging the atmosphere the actors and direction had created. That aside this is a better than average sci fi movie and enthralling as any thriller.
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