Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Two unlikely companions embark on a perilous adventure through the badlands of an unexplored planet as they try to escape a dangerous and disorienting reality, where all inner thoughts are seen and heard by everyone.
Chaos Walking has a genuinely interesting central conceit — the Noise, where all thoughts are visible — but the adaptation struggles to translate the novel's complexity into a coherent narrative. The plot feels rushed and undercooked, with world-building that never fully commits. Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley deliver serviceable performances that elevate the material, while the cinematography capably renders the alien frontier setting. The Noise visual effects are a creative and novel touch, giving the film a distinctive aesthetic quality. However, the ending feels abrupt and unsatisfying, failing to deliver a payoff proportional to the buildup, which contributes to the film's troubled production history feeling evident on screen.