Color out of Space Is an Awkward Intergalactic Homage
Now, if there's one thing that families do, they stay together.
— Color Out of Space, 2019In case the poster didn't clue you in, 2019's Color Out of Space is a psychedelic exploration of intergalactic horror. However, despite the colorful visuals and compelling source material, the movie is hampered by obnoxious characters, poor parenting, and unhealthy family dynamics.
Putting the Fun in Dysfunctional
If you've read my review of Hereditary, you know my opinion of films with unsympathetic characters. It's just so difficult rooting for people you can't stand! And the Gardners make the Grahams look like a happy family. Honestly, it's surprising the alien didn't take one look and decide "You know what, these people have enough issues. I should try another house."
Father Knows Best
Let's start with Nathan (Nicolas Cage), the incompetent and emotionally unstable head of the household. (As a side note, the writers deserve some credit for changing his name from Nahum; evidently Lovecraft's genius didn't extend to christening his characters.) It's unclear why Theresa (Joely Richardson) stays married to this guy, because Nathan's household contributions mainly consist of getting drunk, complaining about his dead father, and repeating said father's mistakes by failing to parent his own kids.
For instance, when Jack (Julian Hilliard) is behaving strangely and appears to be in shock, rather than comforting his kid or taking him to the hospital as his wife suggests, Nathan responds by-you guessed it-pouring himself some booze. Because nothing fends off an alien attack like a fifth of bourbon. (By the way, his excuse for not driving Jack to the hospital is because it's too far: a whopping forty minutes, to be exact. Real father of the year stuff.)
And when daughter Lavinia (Madeline Arthur) returns home on horseback, without a riding helmet or even shoes, Nathan's main concern is returning the horse to the barn before her mom finds out. Maybe it's just me, but if my kid pulled a stunt like that, they'd be in for a lecture about broken bones and head injuries. Nathan's response is especially hypocritical given that he just finished (unironically) scolding Lavinia about the importance of communication. Just a thought, bud, but maybe you should tell your wife that your daughter is gallivanting around like the heroine of a Gothic novel-and we all know how those end.
Speaking of Lavinia, Nathan seems to have a grudge against her for reasons which are never explained. For example, when he drives Theresa to the hospital-guess it wasn't too far, after all-rather than leaving his daughter in charge, Nathan appoints Benny as "man of the house." Not only does this remark reek of s*xism, it's an odd choice given that Benny spends most of his time st*ned; he's barely capable of caring for himself, let alone his siblings. Even Lavinia comments on this, pointedly telling Jack that "Benny will look after us because he's so responsible."
Furthermore, throughout the film Nathan has several bizarre, angry outbursts: most of which are directed at his daughter. (Though there's a particularly odd moment where he screams at his wife while chucking tomatoes into the trash.) While Lavinia doesn't do herself any favors with her constant complaints and sarcastic remarks, Nathan is the adult in this scenario: something he often seems to forget. Either that, or he's too drunk to remember.
Regardless, it would be nice to know if there's a reason for the pair's strained dynamic or if the writers simply assumed all father-daughter relationships are this toxic. In fact, the more I consider it, the more I wonder if the people who wrote the script needed therapy, too.
(More) Daddy Issues
The movie alludes to Nathan's troubled relationship with his father multiple times, presumably to explain why he's such a waste of a space (pun intended). However, his dad's most egregious offense seems to be disapproving of his son's desire to be a painter: a reaction Nathan labels "intellectually abusive"-whatever that means. I'm with Dad on this one; most parents would be concerned about their son supporting himself, since artists aren't exactly known for earning a comfortable income. Also, it appears his dad was right to doubt his artistic aspirations, because Nathan has given up painting for alpaca farming: an even less promising career path. Hate to break it to you, Nate, but it seems like you're the problem.
Mommy Dearest
While Nathan is getting hammered and screaming insults at his teenage daughter, mom Theresa spends most of her time hiding-I mean, working-in the attic. (Which to be fair, I would also do if I were married to Nathan.) What we do see of her, though, suggests she could also benefit from parenting classes.
Where Are the Children?
You think it would be easy for someone home-schooling her kids to supervise them, and yet Theresa fails to know where her children are or what they're doing for most of the film. I get that she's working, but couldn't she, I don't know, have them sit at the kitchen table and do their homework? At least then Nathan could supervise them and do something useful for once. Instead, the kids are left to their own devices-with predictable results.
For instance, the opening scene finds Lavinia practicing witchcraft in the woods while dressed like a character from Little House on the Prairie for some reason. (Maybe the spirits respond better to people in period clothing?) However, when she returns to the house, rather than scolding Lavinia for her absence or neglecting her studies, Theresa chastises her for Benny's decision to get h**h in the barn. Um, last I checked, it was your job to supervise your son.
Also, shouldn't Theresa be upset Benny is using d**gs rather than focusing on Lavinia's so-called failure to intervene? Granted, attitudes towards the devil's lettuce have shifted in recent years, but Benny spends most of the movie st**ed: suggesting his mari*uana usage isn't just recreational. (Maybe getting h**h is the only way he can forget his messy home life.) In fact, just before the meteor lands, Benny is staring at his computer: slack-jawed and drooling. Guess the w**d was out of this world.
Don't feel too bad for the kids, though. As expected of their exemplary role models, Lavinia and Benny are well on their way to becoming dysfunctional adults. While the former spends his days in a d**g-induced haze, the latter goes out of her way to aggravate her parents. Like, I get teenagers are supposed to rebel, but some of Lavinia's remarks cross the line from snarky to b**chy. For example, when her dad cooks, Lavinia dismisses the dinner as "peasant food" and insists Benny only likes it because he's h**h. What happened to saying you aren't hungry and excusing yourself? Jack was the only Gardner I didn't want to slap, probably because he's too young to realize how scr*wed up his family is. Give him a few years, though, and he'll be as insufferable as the rest.
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© 2025 India LaPalme