Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 69% (Critics) / 95% (Audience)
Directed By: Sebastián Cordero
Written By: Philip Gelatt
Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Embeth Davidtz, Christian Camargo and Sharlto Copley
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Synopsis:A unique blend of documentary, alternative history and science fiction thriller, EUROPA REPORT follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa to investigate the possible existence of alien life within our solar system. When unmanned probes suggest that a hidden ocean could exist underneath Europa’s icy surface and may contain single-celled life, Europa Ventures, a privately funded space exploration company, sends six of the best astronauts from around the world to confirm the data and explore the revolutionary discoveries that may lie in the Europan ocean. – (Source)

The Good:
The found footage aspect of EUROPA REPORT allows the director to vividly mimic the claustrophobia that one would experience being stuck in a small space shuttle for months on end. That feeling of being confined in a high tech broom closet comes through perfectly.
EUROPA REPORT is also a visually beautiful film and the cinematography is truly eye-catching.

The Bad:
While the found footage helps convey the feelings of confinement the characters are feeling it also acts as a way to confine this film. I can’t help but think that this movie would have been a lot better and the tense moments would have been more successful at making the audience feel nervous for the fate of the crew members if it had been shot as a straight forward movie instead of having to rely on the found footage so much.
It was also hard to feel bad for any of the misfortune that befell the crew of the Europa mission when most of it was a result of their own boneheaded decisions. Were none of these people pre-screened before being sent into space?

The Ugly
I felt a bit letdown by the end of this movie because it seemed like a lot of foreplay just to deliver a few seconds of pleasure in the BIG REVEAL (clicking will spoil the ending of the movie so be warned) that really left me feeling unfulfilled.

Final Verdict: A beautifully shot, very different take on a science fiction film with more emphasis on the science aspect that takes the audience into the the claustrophobic confines of a manned space shuttle but very few thrills before its big conclusion that really feels like a tease that took far too long to come to fruition.

Grade: C+