'Naked Singularity' Review: Chase Palmer's Comedy Is Underwhelming

Naked Singularity is one of those films that tries to rise above a mediocre script; while it fails to do that, it still makes for a pretty decent flick.

Chase Palmer (in his directorial debut) helms this movie about a young lawyer named Casi (John Boyega) who is fed up with the unjust way he is treated by the system.

Casi struggles to get by every day and life couldn't be more boring or hellish than it already is. He gets a chance to change things when an old friend, Lea (Olivia Cooke), comes calling for help.

It turns out Lea is involved in a drug deal (something she was cajoled into) and now wants Casi to aid her to get her out of it. While he disapproves of her choices, he can't leave her to pay the costly mistake of her naivety. It's a complicated situation because the guy who got her into it (Ed Skrein) threatens Casi, telling him to back off.

Casi's buddy Dane (Bill Skarsgard) sees a golden opportunity in the whole thing; a chance to rob the gangsters of some cool cash and make sure the drugs involved don't get to the streets. 

John Boyega and Bill Skarsgard in NAKED SINGULARITY

After his last case goes south, Casi agrees to Dane's plan, and with saving Lea added to the mix, the friends decide to go through with it, hoping to change their miserable lives once and for all.

As the protagonist, John Boyega is fun to watch. He shows glimpses of being adept at dark humour while attempting to flex his dramatic muscles. His acting isn't phenomenal but is enough to make it fun to watch him do his thing.

As the supporting cast, Bill Skarsgard, Olivia Cooke, and Ed Skrein make meaningful contributions to the story but it doesn't take away the fact that Naked Singularity ends up being underwhelming.

The screenplay has dialogue that is far from interesting, going from funny to bizarre and then a little bit of mumbo jumbo science talk. There are sparks here and there but nothing grows into a major blaze that could have elevated the story.

By the time the end credits started rolling in, I found myself saying, "Oh, that's the end, huh? Okay." There was no lasting impression or afterthought. I just felt glad to have finished watching the movie.

My final words are these; Chase Palmer's film leaves a lot to be desired. But that is not to say it is bad. And while it isn't that good either, it will still please lovers of the genre.

Rating: 5.8/10.