Due to the scenario and location South Africa, “Maschinenland – Mankind Down” immediately reminds sci-fi enthusiasts of the grandiose “District 9”. But the feature debut of director Joe Miale, who has mainly worked as an editor for documentary series, is more than a tired sequel. The fast-paced indie thriller offers a unique story idea and much more (and bloodier!) action than Neill Blomkamp’s modern classic.
“Machine Land – Mankind Down” can be seen on RTL 2 today, March 10, 2023 at 10:25 PM. The channel shows a repeat at 03:40 that same night.
If broadcast dates are too late for you despite the weekend, you can order the Blu-ray or DVD from online retailers like Amazon – and at currently pleasingly low prices. Optionally, the FSK 16 tear is available in the same place as a paid streaming video on demand.
“Machineland – Mankind Down” on RTL 2: That’s the story
American soldier Bo (Lee Pace) and his unit fight local warlords in Kenya – at least that’s the last thing he remembers. When he regained consciousness after several days of being unconscious, he was in a cell at a small police station with amnesia. Who is he? How did he get here? Why was he imprisoned? And who is the woman in the dungeon next to his?
The neighbor introduces herself as Nadia (Bérénice Marlohe) – a French woman who works for Doctors Without Borders. She explains to Bo that a week ago, robot creatures from outer space attacked Earth and brought her almost completely under their control. America, Europe, Australia, Asia – everywhere there is only submission, death and destruction. Only in Africa is there still some kind of resistance. However, in this chaos, anarchy reigns among the people.
When a local gang of looters stormed the station, the duo managed to escape. It turns out that Bo seems to have supernatural powers, which must be related to a symbol tattooed on his forearm. Moments later, the two meet the seriously injured photo reporter Stander (Jason Flemyng). He reports on a rebel movement whose headquarters are said to be only a few hundred miles away…
Stars from “Guardians Of The Galaxy” & “Skyfall” for an authentic decor
Director Joe Miale says of his film: “”
Miale is American, but insisted on actually filming the action, which takes place in Kenya, in Africa. “he explains. However, for both logistical and insurance reasons, it turned out to be impossible to actually carry out the filming in Kenya.
In the end, Miale and his producers chose Johannesburg, South Africa and the surrounding area as the location for the film. The city was once built on gold mines, most of which have been exhausted for decades. As a result, there are many abandoned facilities with crumbling concrete walls, peeling paint and rusted metal that made a great backdrop. “‘ says Miale happily.
Miale’s main collaborator was Karl Walter Lindenlaub for the sometimes very impressive photos taken in this screenplay, which actually always seems authentic. The man from Bremen, who grew up in Hamburg, is very familiar with the science fiction sector and especially with the subject of alien invasions. He was once the lead cameraman on Roland Emmerich’s mega-success “Independence Day”.
Play the main roles in “Machineland – Mankind Down”. Lee Pace And Berenice Marlohe. You know the American from cult series such as “Foundation”, “Halt And Catch Fire” or “Pushing Daisies”. He also played the elf king Thranduil in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit and of course the villain Ronan in the Marvel hit Guardians Of The Galaxy.
The world’s most popular role of his partner from Paris is that of Bond girl Sévérine in “Skyfall”. Marlohe also appeared in the French comedy hit “And by the way, the great happiness”, in Terrence Malick’s “Song To Song” and the Polish drama “Valley Of The Gods”, which won awards at several festivals.
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