Memory Effect - DVD

Content: Scientist Tom Jacobs (Sasha Roiz) has made a groundbreaking invention. He has developed a device that allows him to enter the memories of others. Actually, he wants to use this achievement to help people overcome traumas from their past. But then he gets a lucrative offer from the government, which he can't refuse because of his own financial situation. But now his device is to be used to enter the minds of criminals so that they can be proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. When Tom taps into the memories of alleged murderer Anthony Willis (Dominic Bogart) for a presentation, a fatal mistake occurs and he becomes trapped in the man's mind. As his body slips into a coma, his mind tries to find a way out. But to do so, Tom needs the help of Willis, who is none too pleased about the uninvited intruder...

With his feature debut Memory Effect, director Nir Paniry has delivered a surprisingly good sci-fi thriller. Surprising because a film like this would be just predestined to degenerate into unimaginative low budget trash. Too often the basic idea of the story has been used in a similar way in other movies and TV series. And too often such works have used such effects in spite of their low financial means, which with their cheap visuals put the whole thing right into the trash corner. But Paniry manages convincingly to elaborate the not exactly original story in an exciting and partly really surprising way. Even if there are still some inconsistencies here and there and in places could have been a little tweaked to the dramaturgy, the action is overall really rousing and implemented at no moment really boring.

Another plus point earns Paniry by the decision to use only such effects, which he could also lift with the small budget that was available to him. There's no question that the film certainly shows that it's a production made on a shoestring budget. But the whole thing never seems really cheap in the sense of trashy. The film can't stand up to the comparisons to Christopher Nolan's Inception. But for the fact that Paniry probably just had the money available that Nolan's film spent on catering in one week, the end result is absolutely respectable.

Towards the end, the dramaturgical framework loses a bit of stability and the finale is correspondingly disappointing. Nevertheless, a very positive overall impression prevails. Nir Paniry reveals a great talent as a director as well as a screenwriter, which he hopefully will be able to expand in future movies. Memory Effect is definitely a very good start, which fans of small, exciting sci-fi thrillers, which are carried more by their story than by effects, should not miss. Worth seeing!

Image + Sound: The image of the DVD convinces with a decent image sharpness and an atmospheric color scheme. In darker sequences, here and there slight image noise is detectable, but all in all, the visual implementation leaves a thoroughly positive overall impression. In terms of sound, it is noticeable that the dialogue in the German language version sounds much more centrally mixed than on the English soundtrack. Nevertheless, the surround channels are also challenged with smaller, but also more powerful sound effects and ambient noises, resulting in a pleasantly dynamic sound carpet. Good!

Extras: As a bonus, the DVD only has the trailer for the film and other program tips from the provider on offer.

Conclusion:Memory Effect is a fairly original thriller that is very suspenseful despite some very quiet moments. True, not every plot element should be questioned logically. And also the ending is a tiny bit disappointing. Nevertheless, Nir Paniri has created an all-around convincing sci-fi thriller, which also consoles over minor weaknesses with different plot levels and surprising twists. Even if the technically well-realized home cinema premiere can not withstand the imposing comparisons with Christopher Nolan's Inception, it offers really good entertainment and is therefore also: Recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp