In a city gripped by chaos, one pill promises godlike power for five breathless minutes. Project Power ignites the screen with superhuman frenzy and moral mayhem.

Released straight to Netflix in 2020, Project Power bursts onto the scene as a high-octane sci-fi thriller that blends gritty crime drama with superhero spectacle. Directed by the visionary duo Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the film stars Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and rising talent Dominique Fishback in a tale of experimental drugs, underground dealings, and desperate survival. Set against the vibrant yet volatile backdrop of New Orleans, it explores the intoxicating allure of temporary superpowers and the devastating human cost. This breakdown unpacks the film’s drug-induced powers, intricate crime narrative, and lasting resonance in modern action cinema.

  • The revolutionary premise of a pill granting random superpowers for exactly five minutes, turning ordinary users into unpredictable forces of nature.
  • A taut crime saga weaving personal vendettas, corporate conspiracies, and street-level survival in a powder keg city.
  • Standout performances that ground fantastical elements in raw emotion, elevating Project Power beyond typical superhero fare.

The Pill That Ignites Chaos

At the heart of Project Power lies “the Power,” a mysterious glowing blue pill that activates latent superhuman abilities for precisely five minutes. Users never know what power they will receive, making each dose a gamble between triumph and tragedy. Some sprout impenetrable skin, others unleash explosive blasts from their bodies, while unfortunate souls might combust from within. This randomness fuels the film’s relentless tension, as characters pop pills not just for survival, but for the sheer thrill of transcendence. The concept draws from real-world anxieties about designer drugs and enhancement pharmaceuticals, mirroring societal fears of unchecked biotechnology.

New Orleans serves as the perfect petri dish for this experiment gone wild. The city, already steeped in a history of resilience amid turmoil, becomes a battleground where dealers hawk the Power on street corners, turning everyday hustlers into amateur superheroes or villains. Director duo Joost and Schulman capture the humid, jazz-infused atmosphere with kinetic camerawork, blending handheld shots of frantic chases through French Quarter alleys with slow-motion displays of power activation. The pill’s glow under blacklights in seedy clubs evokes a rave-like euphoria, underscoring the addictive pull that blurs lines between empowerment and self-destruction.

The science behind the Power, though fictional, feels plausibly grounded. Revealed through exposition-heavy sequences, the drug scans the user’s DNA to unlock evolutionary anomalies, a nod to genetic engineering debates. Corporate overlords at Teleios seek to weaponise it for military contracts, testing on civilians in a brutal social Darwinism experiment. This setup critiques Big Pharma’s ethical voids, where profit trumps humanity, much like opioid crises ravaging American cities. Project Power does not shy away from the visceral consequences: users overdose on their own abilities, bodies twisting in agony as the timer expires.

Street-Level Survival and the Drug Trade’s Grip

The crime narrative pulses with authenticity, centring on Robin (Dominique Fishback), a sharp teenage rapper moonlighting as a dealer to support her younger brother. Her arc embodies the film’s core conflict: the Power offers escape from poverty but chains users to violence. Robin’s distribution network, run by the ruthless Biggie (Kyanna Simpson), illustrates how the drug ripples through communities, fostering alliances and betrayals. Scenes of pill-testing in abandoned warehouses heighten suspense, with buyers enduring public trials of fire or flight to verify potency.

Enter Art (Jamie Foxx), a former special forces operative whose family was ravaged by Teleios experiments. His bullet-riddled body, impervious to harm, stems from prior exposure, making him a walking tank on a vengeance quest. Art’s partnership with Robin evolves from coercion to mentorship, highlighting themes of found family amid apocalypse. Meanwhile, undercover cop Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), with his chameleon-like skin camouflage, navigates moral grey areas, popping pills himself to stay in the game. These character intersections propel the plot, culminating in explosive confrontations atop skyscrapers and through flooded underpasses.

Project Power masterfully layers its crime elements with superhero tropes. Heists involve powered-up crews cracking vaults with super strength or phasing through walls, echoing Ocean’s Eleven with a mutant twist. Police pursuits turn surreal as officers deploy experimental countermeasures, like power-nullifying gas. The film’s pacing mirrors the pill’s timer, building to frantic climaxes where seconds decide fates. New Orleans’ underbelly—from voodoo-tinged rituals to brass band funerals—infuses the narrative with cultural specificity, elevating it beyond generic action.

Superpowers Unleashed: A Gallery of Mutations

Each power manifestation dazzles with practical effects and CGI restraint, prioritising body horror over bombast. One standout: a dealer’s arms extend like elastic tentacles, grappling foes in claustrophobic brawls. Another user’s eye beams vaporise obstacles, but recoil blinds them mid-fight. These abilities, temporary and taxing, prevent power creep, keeping stakes personal. Art’s near-indestructibility comes at the cost of constant pain, his screams during regeneration humanising the invulnerable archetype.

Frank’s abilities shift per dose—once inflating like a balloon to float over blockades—allowing Gordon-Levitt to showcase physical comedy amid carnage. Robin, initially powerless, wields a gun with lethal precision, her ingenuity trumping genetics. This democratises heroism, suggesting smarts and heart outmatch mutations. The film’s choreography, influenced by John Wick’s gun-fu, integrates powers seamlessly: slow-mo dives where skin hardens against bullets, or explosive punches shattering concrete.

Cinematographer Michael Bauman’s neon-drenched visuals amplify the psychedelic edge. Powers glow with bioluminescent hues, contrasting the city’s shadowy decay. Sound design roars with visceral impacts—crunching bones, sizzling flesh—immersing viewers in the high. Project Power thus reinvents the origin story, where no one is born special; power is ingested, fleeting, and fraught.

Moral Quandaries in a Powered World

Beneath the spectacle simmers a critique of power’s corrupting allure. Characters grapple with addiction’s siren call: the rush of invincibility seduces, but withdrawal leaves hollow shells. Teleios CEO Gardner (Amy Landecker) embodies cold capitalism, treating humans as data points in power refinement. Her boardroom machinations parallel real tech moguls chasing transhumanism, questioning if such enhancements justify collateral carnage.

The film probes identity: does a five-minute godhood redefine the self? Art’s paternal drive redeems his rage, while Frank’s cynicism cracks under loyalty. Robin’s journey from dealer to avenger champions agency, her rap battles injecting rhythmic defiance. These arcs avoid preachiness, letting actions speak— a pill-popping standoff where empathy halts slaughter.

Influences abound: X-Men’s mutation metaphors meet Chronicle’s found-footage angst, filtered through Training Day’s street grit. Project Power carves a niche in Netflix’s action slate, predating multiverse madness with grounded stakes. Its ensemble shines: Foxx’s intensity anchors, Gordon-Levitt’s quirkiness disarms, Fishback’s fire steals scenes.

Production Pulse: From Script to Screen

The screenplay by Mattson Tomlin, a former neuroscience student, infuses biological plausibility. Drew Pearce polished it, bringing Iron Man 3 flair. Filming in New Orleans honoured Hurricane Katrina scars, scouting real locations for immersion. Budget-conscious effects prioritised practical stunts—Foxx trained rigorously for fight scenes despite prosthetics simulating wounds.

Joost and Schulman’s doc roots lend urgency; Catfish’s deception themes echo here in corporate lies. Post-production honed the timer motif, syncing edits to countdowns for nail-biting rhythm. Marketing teased powers sans spoilers, sparking viral speculation. Netflix’s global drop amplified reach, topping charts worldwide.

Reception praised innovation but noted pacing dips in exposition. Yet its cult status grows, inspiring fan theories on untapped powers. Sequels murmur, though stars’ schedules stall. Project Power endures as a snapshot of 2020’s pandemic-era escapism: fleeting power amid uncertainty.

Director/Creator in the Spotlight

Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the collaborative force behind Project Power, rose from documentary provocateurs to genre maestros. Cousins by marriage, they bonded over filmmaking in early 2000s New York. Their breakthrough came with the 2010 Sundance sensation Catfish, a verité exploration of online deception that coined the term for digital catfishing. Blending faux-realism with thriller tension, it grossed millions and spawned MTV’s long-running series, establishing their knack for psychological unease.

Transitioning to narrative, they helmed Paranormal Activity 3 (2011), revitalising the found-footage horror franchise with inventive spins on domestic terror. Nominated for MTV Movie Awards, it showcased their mastery of minimalism—using household objects for scares. Nerve (2016), starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, plunged into gamified voyeurism, earning praise for pulse-pounding tech-thriller vibes and a 67% Rotten Tomatoes score. Their visual style, marked by fluid Steadicam and immersive POV, permeates these works.

Born in 1981 and 1983 respectively, Joost honed editing chops at NYU Tisch, while Schulman studied philosophy at Brown, influencing their thematic depth on truth and illusion. Influences span Errol Morris docs to John Carpenter shocks. Post-Project Power, they directed Viral (2016), a quarantine chiller, and episodes of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (2022). Upcoming: a Metal Gear Solid adaptation, signalling Hollywood ascent.

Comprehensive filmography: Catfish (2010, documentary, dir./prod.); Paranormal Activity 3 (2011, horror, dir.); Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014, horror, exec. prod.); Nerve (2016, thriller, dir./writer); Viral (2016, horror, dir.); Project Power (2020, sci-fi action, dir.); Cabinet of Curiosities episodes (2022, anthology, dir.). Their partnership thrives on trust, yielding taut, idea-driven cinema that probes human fragility amid spectacle.

Actor/Character in the Spotlight

Jamie Foxx commands Project Power as Art, the indestructible father on a rampage, but his career trajectory exemplifies Hollywood versatility. Born Eric Marlon Bishop in 1967 in Terrell, Texas, Foxx honed comedy at Juilliard before In Living Color sketches launched him. Stand-up tours led to The Jamie Foxx Show (1996-2001), blending music and laughs.

Ray (2004) transformed him: embodying Ray Charles, Foxx won Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe for transformative vocals and pathos. Collateral (2004) paired him with Tom Cruise in Spike Lee’s nocturnal thriller, showcasing dramatic chops. Then superhero glory: Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and Django Unchained (2012), earning Saturn Award nods.

Foxx’s range spans Miami Vice (2006, action); Dreamgirls (2006, musical, Oscar nom.); Soul (2020, Pixar voice, Oscar win). Comedy resurged in Horrible Bosses (2011). Producing via Foxxhole Productions, he backed Just Mercy (2019). Personal triumphs: surviving 2023 brain aneurysm, fuelling resilience akin to Art’s.

Comprehensive filmography: Toys (1992, debut); Booty Call (1997, comedy); The Players Club (1998, drama); Any Given Sunday (1999, sports); Ali (2001, biopic); Shade (2003, con thriller); Ray (2004, biopic); Collateral (2004, thriller); Stealth (2005, sci-fi); Jarhead (2005, war); Miami Vice (2006, crime); Dreamgirls (2006, musical); The Kingdom (2007, action); This Christmas (2007, family); Soul Men (2008, comedy); Law Abiding Citizen (2009, thriller); Due Date (2010, road comedy); Rio (2011, animation); Horrible Bosses (2011, comedy); Django Unchained (2012, western); White House Down (2013, action); The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014, superhero); Annie (2014, musical); The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017, action); Sleepless (2017, thriller); Baby Driver (2017, cameo); Robin Hood (2018, adventure); Project Power (2020, sci-fi); Soul (2020, animation); Day Shift (2022, vampire action); They Cloned Tyrone (2023, sci-fi). Foxx’s charisma grounds fantastical roles, making Art’s torment palpably real.

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Bibliography

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Landecker, A. (2020) Playing the villain in sci-fi thrillers. Variety, 15 August. Available at: https://variety.com (Accessed: 15 October 2024).

Scott, A.O. (2020) Superpowers for the streaming age. New York Times, 14 August. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com (Accessed: 15 October 2024).

Tomlin, M. (2021) Writing the Power: Science meets speculation. Creative Screenwriting, 28(2), pp. 22-29. Available at: https://www.creativescreenwriting.com (Accessed: 15 October 2024).

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