Ruth played deceptively stoic by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, is a recovering addict on the run. While we don't get to know what she was addicted to we get to know why - she experiences seizures which cause her superpowers to cause deadly earthquakes that affect the areas around her in devastating ways. The film lives in the mystery of what she is, why she is, and if she can gain control of these powers but to think that this is the core of the story would be a mistake.
Instead the core of this story is family - in fact, Ruth's story mirrors that of Rue's from this Euphoria season 1, if that character were slightly older and far more distant from her family. Having used drugs to escape an uncomfortable mental situation she returns now to her Mother's house - and her young daughter, both of whom possess the same magical power she does.
This story of not just coming home for protection, recovery, and hope but to rediscover and rebalance who Ruth is has far more narrative focus and weight than anything about powers or the government scientist - played by Christopher Denham in a way reminiscent of Martin Wollstrom's Tyrell Wellick in Mr Robot. The film is incredibly slow boil and at one point I paused to see how much was left to realize I had another eighty minutes. Don't let that sentiment make you think I didn't like the film.
I am a fan of stories like these - the ones that lure you in with genre premises and then hits you over the head with solid drama. Ruth is dangerous and her Mother is guarded from letting her back in. Ruth is navigating the similarities and differences between herself and her daughter Lila. Swirling in the background of this story is this environmental apocalypse setting that reminded me of Mad Max or The Rover, here used much more to underline the stressful living situation they find themselves in.
There are likely some who will watch this film and say something along the lines of "I really wish they had more powers" or "I wish they'd explain the water shortage more" but it's those details that get lost by the wayside. Some might view that as poor concept exploration or ask "why even have it there?" and I can't criticize the thinking, although I wasn't personally distracted too much by that.
Ever since I've had kids I've been touched by stories that deal with Mothers and Daughters. Having watched someone go through pregnancy, childbirth, and raising a few babies paints a delicate picture. Especially having a rough mother child relationship myself and hoping that the mother child relationships I see forming in my own household go well, it's incredibly touching to see the redemption and changes the characters in this film go through. While it takes a bit to set up, and some might think it focuses too much on these relationships, the climax of the film takes the cake as one of those deceptively easy wrap ups and finalizes itself on a lovely sentiment.
"I know the back of her head more than her face," Ruth describes these words her mother said to her to Lila early in the film. And it's this sentiment by which the arcs are completed. What it means to leave in disgrace versus what it means to leave in search of more love, more safety, and more growth.
Yeah, there were some dad tears with this one.
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I watched Fast Color on Amazon Prime and you can to. If you don't have Prime Video follow this link, and you'll get Prime free for 30-Days. Then you can tell me how right I was about Fast Color.
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