'Amazing Stories' Episode 5 Review: 'The Rift' shows a WWII soldier stuck in a time warp, but is that possible?
Spoilers for 'Amazing Stories' Episode 5 'The Rift'
Is a time warp between two eras possible? 'Amazing Stories' is back with a new time travel tale and it does make you wonder if any of these fictional stories could come true.
The story follows a WWII pilot, Lieutenant Theodore Cole (Austin Stowell) who crashes in modern-day Ohio. A young widow, Mary Ann Whitaker (Kerry Bishé) and her stepson, Elijah Whitaker (Duncan Joiner) are swept up in his search for home.
Developed by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, the Apple TV+ series delves deep into the life of the pilot who seems to have landed in the present era. When he talks gibberish about how he was supposed to be in Rangoon, mentions the date December 24, 1941, and talks about World War II, it strikes the little boy how he could have entered the space through an anomaly.
"What if he is telling the truth?" he asks his mom and shows Whiz bars as proof, which were made 30 years ago. "Why are we in such a rush? We have to help him," he begs her. They stumble upon an old newspaper clipping and a photograph at the police station that proves he was a pilot in 1938.
While heading back, he comes in their way yet again and the mother-son duo tries to help escape. Even as his mom is ready to give up, he follows the pilot's trail and helps him escape the eyes of the soldiers looking for him. One of the best scenes, probably, is when Theo and Elijah drive like maniacs into the woods and have a heartwarming conversation near the picturesque waterfalls.
Soon, they realize he has to go back into the rift or everyone within one meter away from him will die. During the time he is still there, he goes back to his house and meets his love, Pauline and tells her, "I am sorry that I never said goodbye."
Finally, the soldier bids goodbye to Elijah and Mary Ann and makes his way back to the rift with his lover's photo in his hand. Everyone watches over him and he enters a flash of lightning through the cloudy pathways.
The cinematography and direction are commendable but the performances of the two lead actors, Bishé and Stowell, ranges between fair to middling. The performance of the little boy will make your heart giddy, but the story does no magic on you and only makes you wonder if such a time-lapse was really possible.
Directed by Mark Mylod and written by Don Handfield and Richard Rayner, the episode is another sci-fi marvel but it gets slightly frustrating in the end when you realize that it has no logical scope of coming true in real life.