Review: Rapid-fire indie sci-fi ‘Anti Matter’ is more interesting than entertaining

The indie science-fiction movie “Anti Matter” sets itself apart from similar arty genre exercises by adopting a screwball comedy pace, and a visual style akin to a hyperactive action film. Writer-director Keir Burrows’ rapid-fire dialogue and barrage of images ultimately prove too exhausting, though it’s always energetic.

Yaiza Figueroa stars as Ana, an Oxford-based experimental physicist who stumbles on a potentially world-changing discovery when she figures out how to generate and stabilize a wormhole, which can teleport objects and people. But when she uses herself as a test subject, Ana reemerges into a world where her colleagues behave suspiciously, and her memory is riddled with gaps.

There are obvious antecedents for “Anti Matter,” including “The Fly,” “12 Monkeys” and “Primer” — and even the non-sci-fi “Gaslight,” in that there’s always a possibility that everyone’s conspiring to make Ana believe she’s going crazy. The characters toss around jargon and raise philosophical questions about how advanced technology warps the human experience, but this movie is primarily a mystery, unraveling what’s happening to the heroine.

Because the actors deliver every line in a breathless rush, their performances are monotone; and because Burrows throws in new characters and ideas every few minutes, the resolution to this story comes out rushed and goofy, and not as poignant as intended. “Anti Matter” shows promise though — even when it’s more “interesting” than entertaining.

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‘Anti Matter’

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills

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