65 movie review youtube

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

You’d think a movie in which Adam Driver fights a bunch of dinosaurs couldn’t possibly be boring, but that’s exactly what “65” is.

This is a movie that would have benefitted from being a whole lot stupider. The big-budget sci-fi flick—which reportedly cost $91 million to make and was featured in a Super Bowl ad—should have embraced its inherent B-movie roots. Instead, it tries to juggle a wild survival story with a poignant family drama, but both elements feel so rushed and underdeveloped that neither ends up registering. There’s nothing to these characters, and the action sequences quickly grow repetitive and wearisome. There’s a jump scare, insistent notes from an overbearing score, some running and screaming, the gnashing of teeth, and maybe an injury before a narrow escape. Over and over and over again.

But the film from the writing-directing team of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods , whose credits include co-writing “ A Quiet Place ” with John Krasinski , offers an intriguingly contradictory premise. It takes place 65 million years ago, but suggests that futuristic civilizations existed back then on planets throughout the universe. On one of them, Driver stars as a space pilot named Mills. He’s about to embark on a two-year exploratory mission in order to afford medical treatment for his ailing daughter ( Chloe Coleman from “ My Spy ,” who’s featured in the film’s prelude and sporadic video snippets).

On the way to his destination, the ship Mills is flying enters an unexpected asteroid field, gets torn to shreds, and crashes. All of the passengers in cryogenic sleep are killed—except one, who just happens to be a girl around the same age as his daughter. Her name is Koa, and she’s played by Ariana Greenblatt . And the planet, which has swampy terrain reminiscent of Dagobah, just happens to be—wait for it—Earth.

“65” requires Mills and Koa to schlep from the wreckage to a mountaintop so they can commandeer the escape pod that’s perched there and fly out before dinosaurs can stomp and chomp on them. The creatures can be startling at times, but at other times they look so cheesy and fake, they’re like the animatronics you’d see at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. And yet! It almost would have been better—or at least more entertaining—if “65” had leaned harder into that silliness if it had played with the basic ridiculousness of mixing complex technology with the Cretaceous period. They rarely use Mills’ advanced gadgets in any inspired ways within this prehistoric setting. The few attempts at humor fall flat—they mainly consist of Koa making fun of Mills for being uptight—and moments of peril wrap up too tidily for us to luxuriate in their anxiety.

Worst of all, Driver doesn’t get to ham it up nearly enough here. He’s an actor of great intensity, which can be both thrilling and amusing if he’s amping it up in a knowing way. Imagine him screaming “More!!!” as he’s blasting Luke Skywalker in “ Star Wars: The Last Jedi ,” or punching a wall during an argument in “ Marriage Story .” But the man he plays in “65” is blandly heroic and just seems generally annoyed. Greenblatt, meanwhile, does the best she can with a character we know absolutely nothing about. Koa speaks a language that’s not English, so most of her exchanges with Mills consist of mimicking the basic words he says to her, including “family.” There’s no real bond between them, but neither is there any sort of prickly tension since they’re stuck with each other. “The Last of Us,” this is not.

Beck and Woods offer some clever camerawork here and there, but also some erratic editing choices. And they borrow quite a bit from the “ Jurassic Park ” franchise: a giant footprint in the mud or a dinosaur’s yellow eye leering menacingly through a window. But maybe that’s inevitable at this point. Their film only gets truly enjoyably nutty toward the end, with its climactic combination of a sneaky quicksand patch, a ravenous Tyrannosaurus rex, a well-timed geyser eruption, and a catastrophic asteroid shower. But by then, it’s too late for us—and the planet.

Now in theaters.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

Now playing

The Roundup: Punishment

Simon abrams.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Monica Castillo

In a Violent Nature

Clint worthington.

Challengers

MoviePass, MovieCrash

Film credits.

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi action and peril, and brief bloody images.

Adam Driver as Mills

Ariana Greenblatt as Koa

Chloe Coleman as Nevine

Nika King as Alya

Bryan Woods

Cinematographer

Salvatore Totino
Chris Bacon

Latest blog posts

Cannes 2024: Ghost Trail, Block Pass

At the Movies, It’s Hard Out There for a Hit Man

Far, Far Away: How to Get People Going to Movies Again

Cannes 2024: Christmas Eve in Miller's Point, Eephus, To A Land Unknown

Supported by

‘65’ Review: What on Earth?

Millions of years ago, a guy from another planet landed on this one. Like most survivors, he had a moody little girl with him.

Share full article

In a film scene, a man and a young girl stand in a dense forest, looking worried.

By A.O. Scott

To paraphrase an old Monty Python sketch , nobody suspects the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction.

Certainly the poor dinosaurs didn’t, though for their more obsessive present-day human fans the fact that this movie is called “65” — as in million years ago — might count as a spoiler. When Mills the space pilot crash-lands on a muddy, reptile-infested Earth after his vessel is hit by an asteroid, you might have an inkling of the larger disaster in store.

I don’t mean the movie; that would be unkind. “65,” directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (two writers of the first “Quiet Place” film), is not interesting enough to be truly terrible or terrible enough to be halfway interesting. As Mills, Adam Driver does a lot of breathing and grunting as he runs a gantlet of familiar dangers. In addition to the T. rexes and other saurian menaces, he faces quicksand, large bugs, falling rocks, malfunctioning equipment and the withering judgment of a 9-year-old girl.

But let’s back up a second. Who are these people, and how did they get to our planet before (if I may quote the opening titles) “the advent of mankind”? The answer is that they belonged to an ancient extraterrestrial civilization, one sufficiently advanced to have invented not only space travel, but the usual array of futuristic sci-fi technology.

Their health care system was pretty bad, though. Mills’s adolescent daughter, Nevine (Chloe Coleman), suffers from a persistent, apparently life-threatening cough, and the only way he can afford her treatment is by taking on a high-paying “long-range exploratory mission.” He’s already grief-stricken when the asteroid hits, cleaving his spaceship in two and killing all of his cryogenically frozen passengers except one, a girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt).

The folks on their home planet, realistically enough, speak more than one language, so Koa and Mills — whose native idiom is English — can’t communicate very well. Also, he’s a grumpy, unhappy man and she’s a moody girl, so we’re on familiar survival-story terrain. “65” is a little like “ The Last of Us ,” but with dinosaurs instead of mushrooms and no obvious sociological theme that would sustain a think piece.

Which would be to its credit, if it managed to be a simple, effective action movie. Or science-fiction movie. Or scary movie. Or something. Like Mills’s emotional back story, the special effects seem to have been pulled out of a box of secondhand ideas. Nor is the execution all that impressive. There’s little in the way of awe, suspense or surprise. Just a quickly hatched plan to get off this God-forsaken planet and leave it to its fate.

65 Rated PG-13. Dinosaur blood and prehistoric curses. Running time: 1 hour 33 minutes. In theaters.

A.O. Scott is a co-chief film critic. He joined The Times in 2000 and has written for the Book Review and The New York Times Magazine. He is also the author of “Better Living Through Criticism.” More about A.O. Scott

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Leslye Headland’s new “Star Wars” show, The Acolyte,” is a dream come true, but she knows it carries enormous expectations .

Once relegated to supporting roles, the comedian Michelle Buteau is a star of the film “Babes” and is moving to a bigger stage, Radio City Music Hall, for her new special.

American audiences used to balk at subtitles. But recent hits like “Shogun” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” show how much that has changed .

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime and Hulu to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Young Woman and the Sea Link to Young Woman and the Sea
In A Violent Nature Link to In A Violent Nature

New TV Tonight

Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
Clipped: Season 1
Sweet Tooth: Season 3
Mayor of Kingstown: Season 3
Ren Faire: Season 1
Criminal Minds: Season 17
Becoming Karl Lagerfeld: Season 1
Power Book II: Ghost: Season 4
Queenie: Season 1
Erased: WW2's Heroes of Color: Season 1

65 review: a simple, bare-bones sci-fi thriller

Adam Driver wears a futuristic spacesuit in 65.

“65 is a simple but effective sci-fi thriller that, thankfully, doesn't overstay its welcome.”

Adam Driver's committed lead performance
A lean 93-minute runtime
Several intense, clever action sequences
A messy, unpolished visual style
An overly familiar story

The new movie 65 is a refreshingly unambitious sci-fi blockbuster.

Written and directed by A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the film is a straightforward, tight thriller that’s interested in little more than forcing its star, Adam Driver, to repeatedly fight a bunch of dinosaurs and other dangerous prehistoric creatures. The film employs no more visual effects than it absolutely needs, and it consistently makes strong use of its real-life environments and locations — most of which prove to be far more dangerous than they initially seem. In case its tight 93-minute runtime didn’t already make this clear: 65 doesn’t have any franchise aspirations, either.

Like the Netflix sci-fi movie Atlas? Then watch these three great films now
5 most shocking sci-fi movie endings ever, ranked
Like the Doctor Who Disney+ reboot? Then watch these three sci-fi shows now

The film’s world-building is concise and efficiently delivered, and Beck and Woods’ screenplay doesn’t ever seem in danger of becoming obsessed with the kind of fictional minutiae or sci-fi gobbledygook that drag down so many other modern blockbusters. Its safeness and limited scope undoubtedly prevent 65 from rising to any truly great heights. However, there’s also something thrilling about the way 65 calls back to the days in which Hollywood’s sci-fi blockbusters could still be self-contained adventures that ask no more of their viewers than 90 minutes of their undivided attention.

As is alluded to by its title, 65 takes place around 65 million years ago and centers on Mills (Driver), a work-for-hire space pilot from a distant, technologically advanced planet. The film’s simple opening scene establishes Mills’ decision to take on a two-year transport mission in order to pay for the expensive medical treatments needed by his sick daughter, Nevine (Chloe Coleman). In its next scene, 65 catches up with Mills’ fateful mission as it’s upended by an asteroid field that damages Mills’ ship and sends him and his passengers crashing onto a nearby, uncharted terrestrial planet.

In the wake of the crash, Mills discovers that all but one of his cryogenically asleep passengers were killed by the destruction of his ship. Mills finds and wakes up the crash’s only other survivor, a young foreign girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), who unfortunately doesn’t speak the same language as Driver’s skilled pilot. Determined to make sure that Koa gets back home safely, Mills takes her on a multiday journey to his ship’s escape vessel, which landed over a dozen kilometers away from where he and Koa ended up.

Along the way, Beck and Woods reveal that Mills hasn’t crash-landed on just any terrestrial planet, but Earth itself. Mills is, therefore, forced throughout his and Koa’s journey to use his scientifically advanced weaponry to fight off a wide range of deadly prehistoric creatures. In what likely won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who has seen anything even remotely similar to 65 , Mills and Koa’s journey also results in the two characters gradually forming an intensely trusting, if unconventional, bond.

Despite what its dramatic opening title reveal would like you to believe, 65 is nowhere near as original as it thinks. Driver’s casting as Mills makes the film’s twist on a typical uncharted planet premise easy to accept, and 65 doesn’t have any more truly subversive tricks hidden up its sleeves. The film spends the bulk of its runtime following Mills and Koa as they encounter a series of dangerous creatures and obstacles over the course of their journey together. The film’s straightforward, obstacle-driven structure results in it feeling a bit repetitive in its second and third acts, which only makes the thinness of 65 ’s story feel that much more apparent at times.

There is, however, something uncomplicatedly thrilling about watching 65 ’s heroes come face-to-face with increasingly difficult challenges and still overcome them with their own brute force and intellect. There are moments throughout 65 in which Beck and Woods demonstrate the same knack for action storytelling that they did in A Quiet Place . That’s particularly true of one sequence in which Driver’s Mills is forced to fix his dislocated shoulder before a pack of dangerous, raptor-like dinosaurs get the chance to rip him and Koa apart.

Woods and Beck’s economical approach to 65 ’s story also allows the pair to make the most out of Mills’ various futuristic weapons. The duo often avoids relying on exposition by simply letting viewers watch Mills put his gadgets to use, as he does during one sequence in which he places a series of glowing markers around his and Koa’s camping spot. The character’s decision to place the markers where he does makes their purpose clear long before their yellow, pulsing lights turn red and Mills begins looking around in fear for any approaching creatures.

Beck and Woods’ visual style isn’t nearly as refined as their storytelling. There are numerous moments throughout 65 when the duo’s uneven mix of general coverage shots and dim lighting makes it difficult to maintain a clear sense of the film’s physical spaces. One underground showdown between Mills and an unidentified dinosaur is particularly confusing to watch due to both the overwhelming darkness throughout it and its lack of establishing wide shots. Beck and Woods bring much more control to some of 65 ’s other action sequences, but the duo’s visual style nonetheless comes across as disappointingly rough and messy during certain sections of the film.

Fortunately for it, 65 is luckier than most other Hollywood blockbusters because it’s led by Driver, a performer who is willing to bring the same level of commitment to films like 65 as he does to the more grounded dramas he typically stars in. Driver’s performance as Mills is so unsentimental and to the point that it ensures that the character’s rare moments of emotional vulnerability land with real force. In a way, the cut-and-dry nature of Driver’s performance is ultimately a reflection of 65 itself, a film that understands how even the most pared-down version of a story can still be compelling and entertaining if told with enough passion and focus.

65 is now playing in theaters.

Editors' Recommendations

The best sci-fi movies on Max right now
The best sci-fi movies on Hulu right now
10 great free sci-fi movies you should stream right now
5 sci-fi movies on Netflix you need to watch in May 2024
3 sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in May 2024
Product Reviews

For all of the great shows available on Amazon Prime Video, the streaming service has definitely been searching for hits, and with Fallout, it looks like it's got one. The series is adapted from the popular video game franchise of the same name, and is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which a young woman has to travel through a post-apocalyptic wasteland in order to find her father.

If you loved Fallout and are looking for other great sci-fi shows from Prime Video, then you've come to the right place. We've pulled together three similar sci-fi shows available now on Prime Video, and each one is definitely worth checking out. (Warning: Some of them are a bit longer than others.) The Expanse (2015-2022) The Expanse - Seasons 1, 2, and 3 Now Streaming | Prime Video

The 2010s was a fantastic decade for sci-fi, as it gave fans and critics numerous modern classics that redefined and pushed the boundaries of the genre. The diverse selection of science fiction movies from that era underscores the boundless creativity and innovation that went into creating these films, with each one inviting viewers to explore the unknown through groundbreaking storytelling and artistic execution.

From mind-bending depictions of the cosmos as seen in Interstellar to chilling examinations of AI like Ex Machina, the top sci-fi movies from the 2010s are often counted among the greatest from the genre overall. With stunning visuals, compelling performances, and an array of thought-provoking stories that reflect the best aspects of science fiction today, these films will undoubtedly continue to enjoy their enduring legacies as contemporary masterpieces. 10. Gravity (2013)

The sci-fi genre owes much of its evolution to a myriad of television series that have shaped and redefined it over the years. These influential shows underscore the power of the small screen to captivate audiences, particularly through sci-fi's distinct combination of innovative storytelling and ambitious visuals. Whether viewers are fans of futuristic technology, extraterrestrial encounters, or dystopian futures, there's something for every kind of sci-fi lover among the genre's best entries.

From the groundbreaking brilliance of Star Trek to the modern masterpiece Black Mirror, the greatest sci-fi TV shows of all time have expanded the genre's horizons and left an indelible mark on pop culture in the process. They promise worlds beyond anyone's wildest imagination, with the mind-bending journeys they depict ending up being some of the most unforgettable adventures ever seen on television. 10. Black Mirror (2011-present)

User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

User Ratings
External Reviews
Metacritic Reviews
Full Cast and Crew
Release Dates
Official Sites
Company Credits
Filming & Production
Technical Specs
Plot Summary
Plot Keywords
Parents Guide

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits
Alternate Versions
Connections
Soundtracks

Photo & Video

Photo Gallery
Trailers and Videos

Follow Polygon online:

Follow Polygon on Facebook
Follow Polygon on Youtube
Follow Polygon on Instagram

Filed under:

Adam Driver fights dinosaurs in 65! Give 65 Best Picture right now!

Feeling very chill about the 65 trailer

Share this story

Share this on Facebook
Share this on Reddit
Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Adam Driver fights dinosaurs in 65! Give 65 Best Picture right now!

My heart is also open to the simple pleasures the world has to offer and that includes Adam Driver doing a Planet of the Apes and accidentally time-traveling back in time to the age of the dinosaurs and having to fight carnivorous titans with a futuristic laser gun. This is the premise of 65 , a movie that really needs to be good, for my sake.

Yes, I am coming down from the silly exuberance of Avatar: The Way of Water , but please consider: 65 teams Driver up with writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the duo behind A Quiet Place , and producer Sam Raimi. If anyone would commit themselves to wringing every bit of schlock entertainment out of a survivalist astronaut protecting the lone survivor of his spaceship crash from velociraptors using shock grenades, it’s these guys. 65! It has to be good. We need this.

Starring alongside Driver as the surrogate daughter who does not want to be chomped in half is Ariana Greenblatt, whose biggest credit has been playing a young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War . Judging from the trailer, she has that Jurassic Park what-was-that-sound look down, and that might be all that matters. On that note, bless this trailer for not hiding the twist and making us guess what’s really going on — these two are going to fight some dinos!

65 , which hopes to make a play for audience attention as an original sci-fi feature in a sea of sequels and reboots, hits theaters on March 10, 2023.

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.

Sign up for the newsletter Patch Notes

A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon

Just one more thing!

Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

Carrie-Anne Moss as Jedi Master Indara in The Acolyte.

The Acolyte, Clipped, and more new TV this week

A group of seven cyberpunk mercenaries walking beside one another in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Pre-orders for the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Mission Kit are now open

An Armored Core wielding an assault rifle faces a giant mecha in a screenshot from Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

This Armored Core 6 lore video is the best mecha movie of 2024

Art showing Diablo characters celebrating atop piles of gold while treasure goblins flee

Diablo 4 never had enough treasure goblins. Next week, that changes

Clorinde from Genshin Impact holds up her pistol

What time does Genshin Impact 4.7 release?

Erenville, a male Viera in FFXIV: Dawntrail

How to prepare for FFXIV: Dawntrail

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

DVD & Streaming
Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , Thriller

Content Caution

In Theaters

March 10, 2023
Adam Driver as Mills; Ariana Greenblatt as Koa; Chloe Coleman as Nevine; Nika King as Alya

Home Release Date

April 7, 2023
Scott Beck; Bryan Woods

Distributor

Sony Pictures Releasing

Movie Review

Business trips are just the worst. Just ask Mills.

The originally scheduled trip was bad enough: a two-year interplanetary journey, shuttling a bunch of cryogenically suspended passengers on an “exploratory mission.” Two years is a long time to be away, especially when you have a critically ill daughter back home. But how else is Mills going to afford his daughter’s treatment? Health care is apparently not any cheaper on Mills’ home planet of Somaris than it is here.

Yes, if everything went as planned, the job would’ve still been lacking. But you know how trips are: weather delays, unscheduled maintenance, your occasional killer asteroid storm. Mills’ ship was hit by the latter, sending it careening off course and crash-landing on some strange, green and insanely deadly world.

Half of the ship—the part that Mills is attached to—landed in a fetid swamp. The rest—including the ship’s only still-working escape pods—now sits on a big ol’ mountain, a good 10 miles away. And while 10 miles might not sound like a long way, it is when the crash pretty much sounded the dinner gong for the surrounding fauna.

Oh, and when you’re babysitting a 9-year-old girl.

That girl would be Koa, the only other survivor. And just to add to the degree of difficulty, she doesn’t speak English. (Though one wonders why Mills, coming from the planet Somaris and all, is so fluent in it.) Her parents are dead, though she doesn’t know it just yet. The planet seems to want her dead, too—which is soon made very clear.

Mills and Koa will have to cross jungles and rivers, avoid poisonous berries and insidious parasites, fight small dinosaurs, big dinosaurs and positively gargantuan dinosaurs.

And that asteroid shower? It’s heading their way, too. Y’know, just to make things interesting.

But at least Mills didn’t fly coach.

Positive Elements

When Mills realizes the predicament that he’s in, he’s ready to just give up. But when Mills learns that someone else has survived the crash, too, he does his very best to get he and the girl back home. He’s not always the most touchy-feely of protectors, but he is a ferocious one. Slowly, he begins to treat Koa a little like his own surrogate daughter.

Koa, meanwhile, proves to be perhaps even more brave than her brave protector. Understandably, she’s a little unnerved when she saves a dino cub from a perilous tar pit, only to see it devoured by predators a mere 90 seconds later. But once she understands that pretty much everything on the planet would like to eat her, Koa becomes surprisingly resourceful. She also rescues Mills a time or two—and given that she’s 9 years old, that’s pretty impressive. When my kids were 9, they didn’t even save me ice cream.

Spiritual Elements

Twenty minutes or so in, we learn that Mills and Koa have crash-landed on prehistoric Earth: The movie’s title, 65 , comes from the fact that this is Earth from 65 million years ago, and obviously evolution is implied.

Sexual Content

Violent content.

Herbivores are about as common as accredited universities in this prehistoric world of 65 , and the bevy of meat-hungry dinosaurs must’ve been thrilled at the prospect of eating something besides each other.

They do eat each other, by the way: Raptor-like dinos swarm over a sweet-but-limping bit of immature prey (though, given the teeth on the thing, that dino likely would’ve grown up on a nice diet of meat, too, so perhaps it was a preemptive strike). Lizard-like beasts catch and kill pterodactyl-like beasts.

And all have their big, beady eyes focused on Mills and Koa—attacking them at every opportunity. One of the most disturbing critters to attack actually does its work from the inside . (We see the thing when the victim’s mouth is opened. If it was sentient, it surely would be cackling with malicious glee.)

Mills responds to most of these threats with a nifty energy blaster, which gorily blows apart the smaller dinosaurs and perforates the bigger ones. He and Koa also use tiny marble-like explosive devices to dispatch a few monsters. Koa poisons a massive fang (or horn) she finds and stabs a Tyrannosaurus-like dinosaur right in the eye socket. (It’s pretty impressive, really, that she can even lift the thing.) Mills smashes a much smaller dino repeatedly with his weapon.

But those aren’t the only dangers to beset the pair or their would-be predators. Geysers prove to be dangerous (and telltale dinosaur bones beside one indicates that they’re sometimes lethal). Tar pits can mire the unsuspecting in its gooey folds. Quicksand—a peril that I’ve not seen on screen since Gilligan’s Island —nearly kills one of our human heroes.

And, of course, one must not forget the asteroid shower, which includes a huge one that pretty much (according to many scientists) ended the age of the dinosaurs forever. Add the dino fatality count after that big event, and we’re looking at a pretty huge number.

As mentioned, Mills’ ship crashes, which claimed the lives of 30-some passengers. While they hope they were sleeping when they slipped the surly bonds of earth, we do see their dead bodies lying about in a swamp. Mills is injured in the crash, too; he yanks a piece of metal from his midsection and painfully sprays it with a coolant. (It continues to cause him periodic discomfort throughout.) He also dislocates a shoulder, and sprains an ankle, and falls from a big tree, and is bitten by a very nasty dino and nearly perishes in a crumbling cave (as does Koa). It’s surprising he wasn’t beset by killer bees (though he does gorily crush a huge insect or two).

Koa, meanwhile, was burned in the crash (an injury that Mills treats), and she’s yanked around by a dinosaur by the hair, which can’t be fun. We also hear that someone has died (back on Somaris, Mills’ home planet).

Crude or Profane Language

Mills swears on occasion: three s-words and one use of the word “d–n.” Koa is blissfully unaware of these linguistic missteps, though we English/Somarian speakers in the audience are not.

Drug and Alcohol Content

None. Not surprising, given the lack of taverns in the region.

Other Negative Elements

Despite the language barrier between Mills and Koa, Mills still manages to lie to Koa—communicating to her that her parents are alive and well with the other half of the ship. Even at 9, you’d think Koa would be a little suspicious, given the state of the other half of the ship and, y’know, the dead bodies there and stuff. But perhaps children are more trusting on Somaris.

The critter that sneaks inside someone’s body causes that person to kinda vomit/froth at the mouth.

The movie 65 is not destined to go down as an all-time sci-fi classic. Despite the always-interesting presence of Adam Driver in, um, the driver’s seat, this turn-back-the-clock thriller ultimately boasts more plot holes than asteroid craters, and that’s saying something.

But while 65 has problems, it doesn’t lack heart. This quasi father-daughter story is sweet in its own way. And except for a rather surprising amount of dino-blood and guts, 65 plays it surprisingly clean.

Adam Driver’s latest sci-fi thriller is a B movie, plain and simple. But 65 does tell us that the love of a father and daughter—even if they’re not actually related—can defeat dinosaurs, asteroids and everything in between.

And that message is T-rex-eriffic.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Latest Reviews

Young Woman and the Sea

The Muppet Movie (1979)

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle

Weekly Reviews Straight to your Inbox!

Now on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and Digital

About the film.

After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth…65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive. From the writers of A Quiet Place and producer Sam Raimi comes 65 , a sci-fi thriller starring Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, and Chloe Coleman. Written and directed by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods and produced by Sam Raimi, Deborah Liebling and Zainab Azizi. Also produced by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

Written and Directed by:

Produced by:, executive producers:.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Real-Life Heroes on YouTube for Tweens and Teens

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Common sense media reviewers.

Violent, by-the-numbers sci-fi/dinosaur movie has gory bits.

65 Movie Poster: Adam Driver holds a weapon and looks alarm as a dinosaur lurks behind him

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Encourages selflessness: One character considers g

Both characters are strong and resourceful; they t

Four characters: Mills (Adam Driver), a White man,

Many are said to have died in cryosleep during cra

A few uses of "s--t." One use of "damn." A use of

Positive Messages

Encourages selflessness: One character considers giving up until he discovers that there's another person to think about.

Positive Role Models

Both characters are strong and resourceful; they take turns helping each other out of scrapes, working to overcome difficult odds.

Diverse Representations

Four characters: Mills (Adam Driver), a White man, is the central character. Young Koa is played by Ariana Greenblatt, who is of Puerto Rican heritage. Mills' wife (seen in prologue), played by Nika King, is Black. Their mixed-race daughter, Nevine, is played by Chloe Coleman, who is of African, Eastern European, and English descent. Mills' insistence on Koa learning English -- rather than trying to understand her language -- supports dominant power structures.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Many are said to have died in cryosleep during crash-landing. Dead bodies lie in a swamp. Girl in peril. Main character shoots laser-like space gun. Splattering dinosaur blood. Explosions. Main character pulls metal shard out of bloody wound. Character attacked by small dinosaur; he bashes it to death with gun butt. Main character falls out of tree; painfully snapping dislocated shoulder back into place. Dinosaur stabbed with pointed tusk. Quicksand. Dinosaur corpse covered in blood and maggots. Burned, gory dinosaur corpse. Red-tinted water sloshing on ship. Fiery crash-landing. Dinosaurs attack and eat one another. Asteroids colliding with ship. Main character briefly considers death by suicide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

A few uses of "s--t." One use of "damn." A use of "oh God" while in pain.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that 65 is a sci-fi/dinosaur movie about a space traveler named Mills ( Adam Driver ) who crash-lands on primitive Earth and must battle dinosaurs to save his one surviving passenger, Koa ( Ariana Greenblatt ). Expect intense violence: Characters die (their bodies are shown), there's splattering dinosaur blood/gore, and Mills pulls a shard of metal out of his own bloody wound. Mills also shoots a space-laser gun at dinosaurs and bashes a small dinosaur to death with the butt of his gun. There are also explosions and falls from high places, and a character briefly considers death by suicide. A girl is sometimes in peril. Language includes a few uses of "s--t," plus "damn" and "oh God." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (6)
Kids say (10)

Based on 6 parent reviews

Dinosaurs look awesome

Decent popcorn flick but huge missed opportunity, what's the story.

In 65, astronaut Mills ( Adam Driver ), from the planet Somaris, agrees to a two-year trip through space, since the increased pay will help cover his daughter's medical expenses. Unfortunately, while he's in cryosleep, the ship is pelted with asteroids and forced to make a crash landing. Only Mills and young Koa ( Ariana Greenblatt ) survive. But somehow, they've ended up on Earth, 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs roamed. Now they must hike 15 kilometers across a deadly landscape to find the only remaining escape pod. And there's another problem: The asteroid that hit their ship was only a small one.

Is It Any Good?

While this sci-fi/dinosaur movie is competently made, it really only has one good idea, and it doesn't do much with it. The rest is generic and familiar and fails to generate much suspense or emotion. The first thing viewers must accept in 65 is that there's another planet that has inhabitants who speak English and act just like Earth humans. After the crash, we get all the usual CGI dinosaur attacks and jump scares -- all very similar to what we've seen before in the many Jurassic Park / World movies. The screenplay -- following a beat-by-beat, three-act formula -- sets up all the elements it's going to use during the final payoff, and it's all noticeable because there's not much else to think about. But perhaps the oddest touch in this movie is the decision to have Koa speak a different language (she's from a different "district" than Mills). This leads to many scenes of Mills trying to force Koa to learn English words -- which she gamely does -- rather than him trying to understand what she's saying. It's all a bit of a drag, like Land of the Lost with the fun taken out. Ultimately, 65 leaves us feeling dino-sore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about 65 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

How does the movie handle the difference in the languages that the characters speak? How does the language barrier affect the story?

How does the movie deal with grief?

Movie Details

In theaters : March 10, 2023
On DVD or streaming : May 2, 2023
Cast : Adam Driver , Ariana Greenblatt , Chloe Coleman
Directors : Scott Beck , Bryan Woods
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studios : Sony Pictures , Columbia Pictures
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Dinosaurs
Run time : 93 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : intense sci-fi action and peril, and brief bloody images
Last updated : July 29, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Jurassic Park

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

Kong: Skull Island

Jurassic World

Sci-Fi Movies

Science fiction tv, related topics.

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

IMAGES

65 Movie Review
65
65
65 Movie Review
65
65

VIDEO

65 Full Movie (2023) Review
Pushpa 2 The Rule
MAIDAN. Vs. BMCM. VS. FAMILY STAR. Vs. AAVESHAM 🔥 Movie Comparison #youtubeshorts #shortsvideo
65
SMOOTH 🥀🤭
too Attractive to be true

COMMENTS

65
My review of the new movie where Adam Driver fights dinosaurs.FIND ME ONLINEINSTAGRAM @seantalksaboutTWITTER @kirkneverdiedFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.co...
65 (2023)
65 pits Adam Driver against the Prehistoric Era of Earth. I genuinely hoped this was gonna be one of the biggest surprises of the year but it turned out to b...
65
A sci-fo oozing with potential...but you've already see the thumbnail of this video, so let's talk about the movie"65"!
65 movie review & film summary (2023)
You'd think a movie in which Adam Driver fights a bunch of dinosaurs couldn't possibly be boring, but that's exactly what "65" is.. This is a movie that would have benefitted from being a whole lot stupider. The big-budget sci-fi flick—which reportedly cost $91 million to make and was featured in a Super Bowl ad—should have embraced its inherent B-movie roots.
65
Linda Marric New Scientist The premise doesn't hold up to close scrutiny and the narrative can be jarringly slow-paced. Rated: 1/5 Mar 31, 2023 Full Review Rex Reed Observer 65 is a gruesome thing ...
65 (2023)
65: Directed by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods. With Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman, Nika King. An astronaut crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he's not alone.
65 Review
65 is a capable action-thriller with a softer side when it comes to its family-centered survival motivations. That doesn't negate the excitement when Adam Driver must square off with fearsome ...
'65' Review: What on Earth?
Watch on. I don't mean the movie; that would be unkind. "65," directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (two writers of the first "Quiet Place" film), is not interesting enough to be truly ...
65
Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies. 65 should only be recommended after one has run out of films to watch, which might not be for many years. Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jun 5, 2023 ...
65
65 is a decent film about fatherhood and dinosaurs that leans on prehistoric survival thrills in a sometimes too-simple story that begs for a bit more meat on its bones. Read Full Review Mar 10, 2023
65 review: a simple, bare-bones sci-fi thriller
The new movie 65 is a refreshingly unambitious sci-fi blockbuster.. Written and directed by A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the film is a straightforward, tight thriller that's ...
65 is Good (No Spoilers)
65 Movie Review and Breakdown explaining the story plot and other things you missed in 65 Movie⭐️ Enjoy the video? Subscribe!
65 (2023)
65 (2023) is a movie that my wife and I saw in theaters this evening. The storyline follows a pilot on a research voyage whose ship runs into an unforeseen asteroid belt and crashes on Earth 65 million years ago. Most of the crew doesn't survive the crash except one little girl who doesn't speak English.
65 trailer: Adam Driver hunts dinos with laser gun, makes best movie
65, which hopes to make a play for audience attention as an original sci-fi feature in a sea of sequels and reboots, hits theaters on March 10, 2023. 65 comes from Sam Raimi and the writers of A ...
65
After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he's actually stranded on Earth…65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive.
65
Check out the trailer for 65, an upcoming sci-fi thriller movie from the writers of A Quiet Place and producer Sam Raimi. 65 stars Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, and Chloe Coleman.After a ...
65
The movie 65 is not destined to go down as an all-time sci-fi classic. Despite the always-interesting presence of Adam Driver in, um, the driver's seat, this turn-back-the-clock thriller ultimately boasts more plot holes than asteroid craters, and that's saying something. But while 65 has problems, it doesn't lack heart. This quasi father ...
65 (Eng)
YouTube Cineplex Store Microsoft Prime Video Amazon Walmart Best Buy Cinema 1 About The Film. Now on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and Digital ... From the writers of A Quiet Place and producer Sam Raimi comes 65, a sci-fi thriller starring Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, and Chloe Coleman. Written and directed by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods and produced ...
65 Movie Review
65 (2023) Movie Review by Dave GulickMy TikTok http://tiktok.com/@davelikesmoviesMy Twitter http://twitter.com/davelikesmoviesMy Instagram http://instagram.c...
65 Movie Review
Parents need to know that 65 is a sci-fi/dinosaur movie about a space traveler named Mills (Adam Driver) who crash-lands on primitive Earth and must battle dinosaurs to save his one surviving passenger, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt).Expect intense violence: Characters die (their bodies are shown), there's splattering dinosaur blood/gore, and Mills pulls a shard of metal out of his own bloody wound.
65 Review
REVIEW: 65 is a decent middle-of-the-road sci-fi thriller action movie. While it's undeniably underwhelming, given that it comes from the guys who hatched the idea for A Quiet Place and stars ...
65
Website: https://www.deepfocuslens.comSupport me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/deepfocuslensyoutube?fan_landing=trueFollow me on instagram: https://www...
65 movie review : r/movies
65 movie review Review 65 is a good B-movie that delivers all of the expected tension and scares in an efficient ninety-three minutes. The problem is that the movie feels like it could have been much more than it turned out to be. ... Recently found out about the YouTube channel Cult Cinema Classics, which has over 1,000 movies that are in the ...
Garudan Tamil Full Movie (2024)
Garudan Tamil Full Movie (2024) | Soori | Sasikumar | Garudan Tamil Full Movie Review & FactCredit - This Channel aims to provide authentic information abou...