I watched both the movie “Man from Earth” released in 2007 and “Man from earth:holocene” released in 2017. I thought the director’s approach was unique in that he released the film directly on torrent and asked viewers to donate if they enjoyed it.
This film is about a man who is over 14000 years old. Before I continue with my review, I’d like to point out that this is one of those movies that you never give a chance because you don’t find it interesting, and then one day you watch it and wonder why you didn’t watch it sooner. This was on my watchlist since 2016, but I never gave it a chance. I finally got around to watching this yesterday. Here are some of my thoughts. If you haven’t seen it yet, I’ll tell you that it’s well worth your time and that you’ll be able to watch and enjoy it.
** Spoiler Alert**
Man from Earth(2007)
John Oldman, a university professor, is stepping down from his position and moving out. His university friends are throwing him a farewell party. Harry, Edith, Dan, Art, Sandy, John, and an old professor Will are among his university friends. When they ask John why he is leaving, he reveals that he is an old caveman who has been around for more than 14000 years. He moves every 10 years to avoid being noticed as strange because his other friends age, but he does not. He recounts his memories of being a caveman and then sailing with Columbus. He was also a disciple of Buddha.
John made the big reveal that he wanted to spread Buddha’s teachings in the west, and eventually he became known as Jesus, and things spiralled out of control from there. He goes on to explain his role in many of history’s most significant events, and his friends are able to cross-reference it with their current knowledge. Edith, on the other hand, is a firm believer in God and Jesus. She becomes enraged and tells John that everything was a prank. Because John understands that this truth is not going down well with them, he accepts that this was a prank.
Everyone expresses relief and departs from the party. Sandy believes John’s tale, and after the party, Will listens to John and Sandy’s conversation, and after hearing the details, he believes the story is true after all, and it is later revealed that John is Will’s father. Will dies of a heart attack as a result of these revelations. Finally, John and Sandy board the truck for an unknown destination.
Man from Earth : Holocene(2017)
Years have passed since the previous film’s final scene. John Oldman has changed his name to John Young. John notices that he is getting older, as in he is becoming weaker and his healing is not as quick as it used to be. Art Jenkin, from the previous film, had published a book based on his conversation with John that night. However, his career was severely harmed because he published the book in the Nonfiction section, and no one believed the story.
Four of John’s students suspect that he is not the guy he appears to be, and they are sceptical when they come across this book written by Ark. These students bound John, and Philip stayed with him while the rest of the friends went to get Ark because his vehicle had become stuck. In this scene, Philip had a conversation with John about God and belief, and he reacted similarly to Edith in the previous film.
John also revealed that there was another person who looked exactly like him, but he never saw him again. Disturbed Philip stabs John in the stomach and flees, distraught over what he has done. Friends and Ark return only to discover that both John and Philip have gone missing.
Later, it is revealed that John has survived thanks to the assistance of his old friend Harry. The FBI is investigating unsolved murders at the end of Holocene.
Review
I enjoyed the first film, but not so much the second. The first film was simple and interesting, and the plot was on point and delivered a great story. Holocene is an example of how a bad sequel can ruin a great film. I had high hopes for the holocene, but it adds nothing to the original film’s value or story.
