u/HarlequinFriday

Hi all! I’m very new to the sci-fi space but have started to dip my toe into the water.

On Friday, I went to see Sam Voutas’ Groundhog Day-inspired film Yesterday Island at SCI-FI London.

I absolutely loved it but as a newbie, I have a couple of questions about the genre and how a more seasoned eye would categorise / place a piece of sci-fi media.

The film never explicitly tells us why there’s a time loop on the island but two theories are suggested as the plot progresses. (My wording isn’t exactly verbatim to the film’s script: I’m relying on my memory here!)

1. One of the geologists stationed on the island suggests that the temporal mechanics of the island are strange because of its unique electromagnetic field. 
2. The other suggested explanation feels far more fantastical and hints at the film’s influences in Greek mythology: we’re told that the rules of the island function akin to a “game”. We’re led to believe the time loop is being dictated by an unknown cosmic force.

I bring this up because the second explanation heavily reminded me of Iosi Havilio’s ‘Petite Fleur’, a novella that plays on the idea of a time loop but tackles the problem from a magical realist angle.

This is to say, would you all classify this as a sci-fi film?

I know this isn’t hard sci-fi, but I’m struggling (with my very limited knowledge of the genre) to understand why this film would be categorised as sci-fi and not magical-realism or something else instead.

Thanks for reading my ramble!

Hi all! I’m very new to the sci-fi space but have started to dip my toe into the water.

On Friday, I went to see Sam Voutas’ Groundhog Day-inspired film Yesterday Island at SCI-FI London.

I absolutely loved it but as a newbie, I have a couple of questions about the genre and how a more seasoned eye would categorise / place a piece of sci-fi media.

The film never explicitly tells us why there’s a time loop on the island but two theories are suggested as the plot progresses. (My wording isn’t exactly verbatim to the film’s script: I’m relying on my memory here!)

1. One of the geologists stationed on the island suggests that the temporal mechanics of the island are strange because of its unique electromagnetic field. 
2. The other suggested explanation feels far more fantastical and hints at the film’s influences in Greek mythology: we’re told that the rules of the island function akin to a “game”. We’re led to believe the time loop is being dictated by an unknown cosmic force.

I bring this up because the second explanation heavily reminded me of Iosi Havilio’s ‘Petite Fleur’, a novella that plays on the idea of a time loop but tackles the problem from a magical realist angle.

This is to say, what would you all classify this as a sci-fi film?

I know this isn’t hard sci-fi, but I’m struggling (with my very limited knowledge of the genre) to understand why this film would be categorised as sci-fi and not magical-realist or something else instead.

Thanks for reading my ramble!