Review of Frequency (2000) by Andy C — 08 Aug 2008

Frequency is a science fiction film, the way science fiction should be. Set in a real world, with a singular SF plot device, an atmospheric setting and convincing characters, it features no light sabers, no aliens, and little gobbledigook.

The SF plot device in question is an aurora borealis which, briefly, allows ham radio transmissions to pass through time, from 1999 to 1969 and back. This is a time travel story - only it's not people or things that travel, but information. And our heroes are a fire fighter and his son, who, to their surprise, find themselves chatting to each other across the generation gap.

Obviously, a clever starting point isn't enough, so the film adds drama and thrills: The conversations take place around the time the father dies (in 1969), and so the son tries to change that through passing crucial information back.

Things get even more complex later, with a serial killer sub-plot suddenly taking over much of the second half of the film.

However, despite having a slightly too twisty plot for its own good, the film convinces. The setting - Boston, among firefighters and cops and baseball fans - is richly drawn. The characters are interesting to watch and well-acted. And the film even stands up to repeat viewing, and stays reasonably true to its own internal logic.

Altogether, it's a shame there's not many SF thrillers that are made like this.