Written and directed by Marc Price, Dune Drifter begins during an ongoing battle for humanity. A rookie space fighter pilots become assigned to join a pivotal battle against an armada of unbeatable enemy ships.

A trainee pilot, played by Phoebe Sparrow, navigates a combat ship called Gray 6 as part of the Gemini unit and the Dune squadron, hence the movie title. She and her gunner, Daisy Aitkens, are shot down. They crash land on a nearby planet called Erebus. With the gunner mortally wounded and her life support only set to last two days, her only option is to fix her ship.

The sudden appearance of an enemy craft offers the answer, but as the pilot looks for parts to use on her ship, she’s horrified to spot another survivor. An enemy alien soldier, Simon Dwyer-Thomas, has no intention of letting her escape.

The low-CGI effects remind me of the science fiction movies Roger Corman produced, where some talented directors such as James Cameron and Joe Dante emerged. Price keeps the film fast-paced, including twists to keep me interested in the story. Price uses low-budget backdrops to keep the post-production down. Sparrow holds her own, convinces me she’s a survivor and gets the bad guy. Though the story is not original, it held my attention, focusing on the story more than the special effects.

I must admit, I needed help reviewing this movie because I am not a big science fiction fan. I looked at Erik Mortensen’s review on Geeky Hobbies, and Camillo De Marco’s on Cineuropa. Both helped me understand the excitement of this movie.

Science fiction movie fans are sure to rave about this movie. It’s an indie, a sci-fi film that they can pull the DVD from their library and share with their friends in the comfort of their home theater.