Infinity Chamber

Release date: 2016 Running time: 103 mins. Director: Travis Milloy Rated: NR

My retrospective on 2001: A Space Odyssey will be coming soon, but before that, a man and an A.I. in a small space in a battle of the wits. Or maybe not? Travis Milloy (Writer, Pandorum) wrote and directed this independent sci fi sleeper. This films main character, Frank Lerner (played by Christopher Soren Kelly) awakens in a box, unaware of where he is and how he got there. His only companionship is a surveillance camera named “Howard”. Howard (voiced by Jesse D. Arrow) reveals to Frank that he is an LSO, his Life Support Operator, and that he has not been detained- He is being “processed”, by the ISN, a government organization. Frank is insistent that he does not belong there , that there has been a mistake and attempts to get answers, to which Howard cannot give any. Howards responses are he does not have access, it’s not his department or he does not have authorization.

It appears, with the memory of his day leading up to his detainment in the coffee shop, that there is more to Frank Lerner. And this prison is set on finding what that is, by this memory-prying and dissecting machine, interrogating Frank by having him repeat the same events/memories to find out what is hidden. One such memory involves a barista in a coffee shop (played by Cassandra Clark) and she becomes not only an integral part of Frank’s mental and emotional survival, but his escape.

Howard and Frank

This automated prison supplies Frank with food, exercise and hygiene, all for the conditions of keeping him alive. Frank means to use this to his advantage. Christopher Soren Kelly does excellent work evoking the anger, frustration, hopelessness and eventually the determination of a man detained essentially by a machine, with no other “real” human connections.

This is an extremely low budget film ($125,000), but they do well with the props that are created. It is shot mainly in one location, so that definitely helps. The way the prison cell functions is quite inventive. To avoid spoilers I will just say one more thing: When you think you have figured out what is happening, you may be wrong. And I hope you are, because that is what makes it such a better film in my eyes. It may ponder about this one for a while. Available now on Amazon Prime.

In Retrospect ★★★★☆