Odd Thomas

Courtesy of Fusion Films, Future Films, andThe Sommers Company.

Quirky indie adaptations are becoming a new trend in filmmaking. While it traditionally costs a lot of money to adapt a book, television show, graphic novel, or blog into a film, indies are relying more and more on quirk and fantastical premises to push through popular media. Between this film and "John Dies at the End," it's clear that these films aren't going anywhere, anytime soon.

 Cinematic stories are told differently than literary ones. There's a beginning, middle, and end, and oftentimes the characters fuel the plot, but also work within it. Literary ones need backstory, side characters, a mystery or inciting incident to fuel the plot. When a book is adapted, it's pretty easy to tell, because it's not following film rules. "Odd Thomas" is obvious in this regard almost instantaneously. Backstory gets thrown at you from every angle, via narration from Thomas. Director Stephen Sommers does this so we can be thrown into the action right away, instead of building towards it at a snail's pace. The problem with this set-up is that everything is rushed. There's very little screen time, and in that time we mostly follow a mystery, smooshing in backstory and character development in a rushed, haphazard way.

 "Odd Thomas" isn't an odd choice for adaptation. It's quirky, adventurous, popular, and relies on the supernatural. It would have been better utilized if not in an indie setting, best exemplified by the less than perfect effects. Some are really spot on, but there's a lot of computer generated stuff that looks ugly and half-assed. The plot is also rather meager, as it uses the same twist twice in the film, to a lesser effect the second time.

The better option, and the one that most people would agree with, was that this be adapted into a television show. Like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Supernatural," "Odd Thomas" deals with a do-gooder who has no choice but to fight the darkness. A show would have been able to slowly unearth backstory better, have complex side characters, and really draw out Thomas and Stormy's relationship.

 Though I think this could have been done better, I hope this new trend continues, and more supernatural, quirky stories are told in the indie realm. While these films don't always get everything right, they tell unique stories and make us want to read their origins. If anything, this film at least made me curious about Dean Koontz, an author I have avoided reading in the past. Most of this will at least intrigue, and inspire supernatural lovers, and make new ones of others.