Science fiction movies set in a dystopian near-future are nothing new, in fact, they seem to be becoming more and more frequent in their numbers. With that familiarity brings exactly that - familiarity alongside well-worn tropes and visuals, but occasionally one will slip through the net and prove there’s life still in the subgenre. Kristina Buožytė and Bruno Samper’s Vesper is the latest to slip through, a Lithuanian-Franco-Belgian production that follows a thirteen-year-old girl living in the aftermath of the collapse of Earth’s ecosystem who must use all of her smarts and talents to survive and push for a brighter future. For transparency, Vesper does not necessarily break free from the aforementioned familiarity, but what it lacks in surprise value it makes up for in character strength, story, worldbuilding, and visuals. Vesper tells a character-driven coming-of-age story that delivers enough exposition regarding the state of the world but does not become bogged down or defined by it - this movie belongs to Rafiella Chapman’s Vesper. The titular character is both intelligent and naïve, as well as being strong and vulnerable as she attempts to survive in a world where the richest survive by attempting to bioengineer food and resources for herself and her inert father, Darius (Brake), a man only able to communicate via a floating droid linked to his brain (a brain that survives in a wired contraption outside of his skull). The only other surviving family she has is her uncle Jonas (a deliciously menacing Marsan) who breeds children for their blood in order to trade with the mysterious oligarchy that resides in enclosed citadels - and he has similar plans for Vesper. Things do begin to change for Vesper when she comes into contact with Camellia (McEwen), a girl from the citadel who promises Vesper entry to the promised land if she can just get her back there, but Vesper realizes there is more to Camellia than meets the eye, something vital that must survive. The movie's messages of capitalism, family ties, government attitudes, class systems, and climate warnings (to name a few) combine to create something that is far more cerebral than it is ‘exciting’ - Vesper has its moments of tension and, indeed, action, but it succeeds more on feeling than cheap thrills. The Children of Men-esque landscape is littered with an array of CG biota, animals and additions that add such a presence and celestial feeling and atmosphere to the world without ever looking or feeling out of place or too otherworldly - the special and practical effects on show are truly excellent especially given the budget the filmmakers had to work with, this a world that feels lived-in as it struggles to fend off total destruction. Whilst the movie is paced with purpose, Vesper does require a degree of patience before it reaches its more action-focused conclusion, this isn’t a space opera or a movie intended to electrify, instead it's far more satisfying and inspiring than that despite its perpetual glumness. Though it isn’t an original or glossy entry into the subgenre, Vesper is certainly one of the better recent additions - by prioritising characters and story over exposition and thrills, the movie delivers an ethereal and often beautiful experience.