Marvelous and the Black Hole - A Movie Review

One can never work through life unless they try.

Marvelous and the Black Hole premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Sammy, a troubled child, would rather act out than accept her father’s new relationship. Meeting a magician, Sammy and Margot become friends. Showing her the world of magic, Sammy becomes more tolerant.

The Sundance Film Festival is an incredible experience to see many unique films with contrasting atmospheres. Marvelous and the Black Hole is an excellent film that contains a multitude of depth. Life never goes as planned. In this magical tale, audiences learn to breathe and make an effort to try.

I am very impressed by Miya Cech. She sells how difficult it is to be a young teen. Trying to find a passion, and to understand herself, Sammy makes decisions that are not wise. We can all relate to Sammy. Cech did an amazing job with the character. She had fun in the role, becoming a positive influence to kids of her age who have a hard time going after their dream.

Rhea Perlman is terrific. Playing as a humble magician who performs the coolest magic tricks, Margot sees through Sammy. She teaches her how to be open with her emotions, like screaming her anger into a pillow. Cech and Perlman were wonderful showcasing the positive impact of unlikely friendships. They made a great duo.

One of my favorite aspects of the film was the dynamic between Sammy and her family. Especially between Sammy and her sister, Patricia (Kannon). Kannon also did a nice job with the journey of her character. Playing the typical older sister who is bossy, there is more that she is afraid to display.

Every family has its dysfunction. The journey that this family goes through presents a tremendous and thought-provoking story. The scenes where they spent time together at the arcade was my favorite. Trying to do what is best for his daughters, Angus goes through a difficult journey of his own.

Other credits to include are Leonardo Lam, Beth Hall, Paulina Lule, Lauren Knutti, Aris Alvarado, and Lucy DeVito. The people we run into have an impact on us.

It is very easy to get pulled into this film. Creative magic tricks are performed. Kate Tsang’s direction followed closely in the eyes of a troubled teen. Tsang gave the story its depth. Marvelous and the Black Hole is about finding hope and resilience during tough times.

One note of criticism that I had in the direction was the tone. By the end, the tone drifts between a childlike tone until delving into subject matter that faces more serious elements.

Kate Tsang found the right atmosphere to dictate scenes with the family. Working with perspective for any film is highly important to correlate the story. She added in one darkly humoresque moment that added to the tone of the film. The focus on a child’s point of view through camera angles made the film easy to follow.

For magic lovers, this is the film for you. I enjoyed all the tricks. Especially the disappearing and reappearing rabbit. In some way, this film helps people who are unsure of themselves. We have to experiment to see what we like.

Try. There is no reason to give up without making an effort. Life is not always fair. Do something that makes others happy. But most important, find a passion that opens your mind.

Marvelous and the Black Hole is a strong film for all audiences to enjoy. Having the chance to watch it at its virtual premiere made watching this film all the more memorable.