Written by Robert Scucci | Published
The concept of free will is consistent if you can see your future and realize that no matter what you choose now, you will end up with the same outcome. in 2019 Choice toys with this deterministic idea where his hero cannot escape his fate no matter how many times he tries to fix it. He doesn’t live in a choose your own adventure timeline, but on a long journey with a tragic ending that we always seem to choose.
In this framework, Choice succeeds as a sci-fi thriller where free will and determinism are locked in constant conflict, with no clear way to break the cycle of betrayal, deceit, and violence that traps our protagonist Jimmy (Adrian Glyn McMorran). As more variables enter the equation, Jimmy tries to understand his surroundings and adjust to the predetermined path he’s convinced he must follow, hoping to reach a conclusion he can truly live with.
Clairvoyance, Diamonds, New Relationships, and Death
When we are first introduced to Jimmy Choicewe already know whether you have been blessed or cursed with clairvoyance. He uses his inexplicable knack for sports betting, while experiencing a fleeting flash of deja vu that strikes without warning. Having lived this way without too much trouble, Jimmy’s life changes when a woman named Angela (Magda Apanowicz) is robbed by a group of low-level criminals. After catching a glimpse of the future that suggests they become friends, or maybe more than friends, he decides to follow her.
At the same time, Jimmy’s old friend Sal (Frank Cassini) introduces him to Ray (John Cassini), who offers him the opportunity to fence a bag of diamonds worth millions. Jimmy only accepts because his ideas say this is how things should be done. In his mind, the future is not something to avoid, it is something to achieve. So far, he believes he has no real influence on the outcome of his ideas, so he may go with the flow.
As expected, Jimmy and Angela grow closer while Sal and his partner Terry (Aleks Paunovic) plan to betray Ray by stealing the diamonds from Jimmy and keeping the profits for themselves. A double cross sets off a reaction that forces Jimmy and Angela to flee from Jimmy’s estranged stepparent, Elliot (Bill Marchant), who happens to be a quantum physicist. As fate would suggest, at least in Jimmy’s mind, these events build up to what was destined to happen. There will be chaos in Elliot’s house, Angela will be shot and killed.
Refusing to accept that this is the situation we have to play with, Jimmy contacts Elliot, who reveals that he has created an intravenously administered time travel serum, and that Jimmy’s explanation is not mysterious at all. It is the result of exposure to serum in childhood. Jimmy is understandably upset that his foster father used him as a lab rat, but he’s relieved to learn that his ideas are actually a memory of hops from the past. If so, he may be able to change the future if he can plan it properly.
A Time Loop Worth Getting Lost In
Choice it’s much more interesting when it becomes fully dependent on Jimmy’s time loop, regressing to increasingly absurd levels as he tries to save Angela from an encounter that takes his life. He experiences memories, past, future, and present in quick bursts, making split-second decisions based on limited information. He uses the wall of his apartment as a reference point to trace the overlapping timelines, observing them from a distance and interrupting when necessary, however he fails to decipher the code.
No matter what she does, Angela dies, and she refuses to accept that outcome. If saving his life while sacrificing his own is his goal, then so be it. Not caring for anyone as deeply as he cares for her convinces her that high street trading may be the only way to find peace.
There are no shiny special effects Choice except for Jimmy’s views, which is exactly what I appreciate about the passage of time. The film benefits from that restraint because the action isn’t driven by laser beams or futuristic gadgets. It all takes place within Jimmy’s broken vision as he buries himself in similar yet slightly different moments that seem to lead to the same destination.
To experience deja vu, confusion, and one man laughing in the face of the future because he refuses to let a fixed timeline call the shots, stream it. Choice free on Tubi as of this writing.
