The popularity of movies involving parallel dimensions has skyrocketed in the last few years, evident in films such as Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once and upcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The Alternate inserts itself into this pressing line of dialogue, presenting yet another view of a concept audiences seem to be obsessed with.

Jake Del Rio (Ed Gonzalez Moreno) is a struggling filmmaker, doing freelancing gigs he dislikes in order to fund the film he is in the middle of, titled Space Drive. While trying to balance that, he must also appease his disapproving wife, Kris (Natalia Dominguez), whose job selling glasses has been the main funding for his side-projects. When Jake discovers an odd spot in one of his videos, he enlarges it to reveal a portal leading to an alternate dimension – one where his movie was successful, kickstarting a filmmaking career. Kris has fulfilled her dream of designing and creating her own line of glasses, and they have a daughter, named Julie. It’s the life he always wanted for himself.

Characters and Creativity

Jake is by no means a likable character, a trait which only gets worse as the film progresses. His relationship with Kris in both dimensions is strained at best, his narcissistic nature overriding any sort of communication the couple could have. He is so involved with his work that he takes Kris’s support for granted, leading to numerous fights.  

That being said, the struggle he faces within his creative endeavors is all too relatable for anyone in the business. Limited budgets, looming deadlines, and an uninterested public make Space Drive a Sisyphean struggle that appears hopeless. It’s an incredibly competitive field, and no matter what Jake tries to do, he never seems to get the recognition he needs to succeed. Of course, the Facebook status updates of everyone else’s indie films being fully funded and beginning production serves to rub salt in the wound, dragging Jake into the pit of self-deprecation. It is little wonder that a portal leading to his ideal life would morph into an obsession for him.

Cinematography Techniques

The film itself is absolutely gorgeous – a running motif of reflections and doubleness provide the opportunity for some extraordinary shots in pool reflections, windows, and mirrors. The world of the portal is swathed in contrasting shades of blue and golden yellow, creating a stylized and stunning color palette that heightens its fantastical nature.

The sound design is also stellar – from the opening shots of the film, the music serves to create an eerie tone that immediately alerts audiences that something is already brewing. The hints of wrongness emphasized by the music choices make the events of the movie feel as though they’re dictated by destiny. There was already a seed of disaster present even before Jake and his fellow crew-members noticed the little glitch during their filming session – there is an undercurrent of inevitability as Jake spirals into obsession.

Worldbuilding and the Portal

The sci-fi element of the portal raises plenty of questions about its mechanics and its origins. The film shows Jake’s discovery of a mysterious spot during one of his shoots, but it doesn’t explain how it got there or how it was created. There is also a scene where the computer being used to access the portal is somewhere other than Jake’s house. When alternate-Jake looks through to the other side, he appears in some sort of kitchen, startling the cooks as he attempts to steal an onion. The portal, then, must be sensitive to location rather than its user, indicating that it was a stroke of luck that alternate-Jake ended up in the same house Jake lives in.