Robert Redford's Star-Studded Sci-Fi Movie On Netflix Flew Under Everyone's Radar

Some movie stars are very much of-their-era sensations, but there is a constellation of performers that is destined to shine brilliantly forever. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, and Paul Newman possessed the talent, the charisma, and that unique beauty that guarantees we'll never tire of seeing them grace screens of all sizes for the rest of our lives. Similarly, the late (and, of course, great) Robert Redford exuded these qualities so casually that you couldn't see him working.

Like the aforementioned artists, Redford was tireless in preparation and precise in execution. Studios, producers, and directors were determined to get him in their movies, but the sun-kissed Sundance Kid chose his projects carefully. Filmmakers Sydney Pollack, George Roy Hill, and Michael Ritchie were noted Redford whisperers in the prime of his career, and their sense for good material helped steer him away from making movies unworthy of his talent (like director Ivan Reitman's sloppily crafted courtroom rom-com "Legal Eagles"). Not that Redford needed any help in identifying quality projects. His directing debut on "Ordinary People" earned him the Oscar for Best Director and also won Best Picture.

For decades, Redford's involvement generally guaranteed a theatrical viewing (for me, at least). But after a terrific 2001 with director Rod Lurie's military prison actioner "The Last Castle" and Tony Scott's exhilaratingly twisty "Spy Game" (which paired Redford with his blond-haired movie star successor Brad Pitt), the films got dull and unadventurous, including his directorial efforts. When he succumbed to the siren call of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," you could finally see him working. Redford's movies were no longer automatic must-sees, which is why his star-studded 2017 Netflix sci-fi film, "The Discovery," was largely ignored. Did we miss out on a thoughtful genre classic?

Directed by Charlie McDowell ("The One I Love"), who co-wrote the screenplay with Justin Lader, "The Discovery" stars Robert Redford as Thomas Harbor, a scientist who claims he's proven the existence of the afterlife. His case is so convincing that people are acting on this knowledge, and not in a good way. The suicide rate is booming all over the world, which troubles Thomas' son Will (Jason Segel), who is also haunted by a memory he's carried with him since the time he was dead for a minute. He befriends an equally unnerved woman named Isla (Rooney Mara), with whom he endeavors to test his father's new machine that will record people's afterlife visions.

"The Discovery" premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, i.e. Redford's home turf. If you thought that would lead to more favorable or, at the least, forgiving reviews, the movie's 48% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes indicates otherwise. /Film's Ethan Anderton was among those who appreciated "The Discovery" upon its release, but the consensus was that McDowell had failed to flesh out his intriguing premise. Obviously, if humanity suddenly confirmed the afterlife exists, society would be hurtled into turmoil. But if reaching this version of the afterlife isn't contingent on the strength and purity of one's faith in a particular religion, might not the world plunge into anarchy? Indeed, the Earth could very well become a hellish playground for the worst people alive.

"The Discovery" boasts a great cast (one that also includes Jesse Plemons, Riley Keough, and Mary Steenburgen), but its smallish scope and philosophical approach might not be what you're looking for out of a film with such an ambitious setup. If you're curious, the film's currently available to stream on Netflix.