Today’s quick review: Prodigy. As a favor to his old friend Agent Olivia Price (Jolene Andersen), psychologist James Fonda (Richard Neil) agrees to help the government with a difficult patient: Ellie (Savannah Liles), a precocious girl with a sociopathic personality and telekinetic powers. With Colonel Birch (Emilio Palame) anxious to execute Ellie because of the danger she presents, Dr. Fonda has only a brief amount of time to get the child to open up.
Prodigy is a minimalistic drama with science fiction elements. The movie follows a persistent psychologist in his attempts to break through to a brilliant but disturbed child. Prodigy’s story revolves around a simple question: Is Ellie the monster she appears to be? The film backs this question with thoughtful writing, steady plot progression, and just enough nuance to be interesting, but it lacks the skill to be a truly moving watch.
For all its intellectual aspirations, Prodigy is a straightforward watch. The only plot thread of note is Fonda’s running interview with Ellie and the mental chess game it entails. Fonda attempts to crack through Ellie’s facade to uncover who she truly is underneath, while Ellie maintains the cold, haughty disdain of a brilliant sociopath. The film does a good job of setting up and executing on a few key shifts in their relationship.
But Prodigy doesn’t go much further than that. The film is short and to the point, with no subplots of note and no extraneous elements. This is a mixed blessing: it lets Prodigy focus on its story without distractions, but it also robs the movie of the complexity that could have led to deeper characters or greater tension. Similarly, the film’s writing and acting are workmanlike, enough to sell the events of the story but a few steps short of brilliant.
Give Prodigy a shot when you’re in the mood for a quick, moody drama with an intersting premise. Prodigy doesn’t have quite enough substance to make the most of its premise, but it does well with the tools at its disposal. Skip it if you’re looking for action, horror, or real suspense. For another psychological drama with sci-fi elements, check out K-PAX. For a more upbeat drama about a troubled genius, check out Good Will Hunting.
6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent acting and writing.