Set almost entirely in a remote log cabin, Universal follows Leo and Naomi, a British couple now living and working in the United States. They arrive seeking rest, reconnection, and distance from their professional lives. Their dynamic feels immediately lived in. Leo carries a restlessness that borders on yearning. He believes in the romance of discovery and is frustrated by the sense that his career has stalled. Naomi is steadier, more centered, not dismissive of Leo’s ambitions but far more careful about where curiosity can lead. Their conversations are warm, occasionally barbed, and grounded in affection rather than conflict.
That balance is disrupted when Ricky appears at their door. She has tracked them down with a claim that feels implausible on its face, tied to genetic research and patterns hidden in plain sight. Kelley Mack plays Ricky with remarkable restraint, never leaning into eccentricity for easy laughs. Her energy is disruptive but magnetic. She is awkward, intense, and completely sincere, the kind of person who makes others uneasy simply by refusing to soften herself for comfort.
What Universal does so well is resist the urge to turn this setup into a traditional thriller. Instead of chasing twists, the film folds inward. Conversations stretch. Pauses linger. A five minute exchange becomes an evening of debate and speculation. The discovery at the center of the story matters, but Portland is far more interested in how people react when faced with the possibility that everything they know could be wrong. This is a film about human connection as much as it is about coded mysteries and theoretical breakthroughs.
Joe Thomas gives Leo a quiet desperation that feels painfully recognizable. He is a man searching for meaning, convinced that the right idea could finally validate his choices. Rosa Robson provides a perfect counterbalance as Naomi, whose skepticism is rooted not in cynicism but in logic. She listens. She questions. She watches closely as the dynamic in the cabin begins to shift. Their chemistry sells the relationship completely, which makes the emotional tension that follows feel earned rather than manufactured.
Mack’s Ricky ultimately becomes the gravitational center of the film. She is an enigma without ever turning into a plot device. Her social missteps and blunt honesty create an unease that seeps into every corner of the cabin. There is something not quite right about her presence, and the film wisely lets that discomfort breathe. Portland understands that unease is more effective when it is suggested rather than explained.
Halfway through, Universal begins to feel like it could tip into darker territory. The atmosphere grows tense. Symbols and theories pile up. Questions emerge about trust, intention, and control. Instead of escalating into chaos, the film makes a deliberate choice to remain grounded. That restraint is its strength. Portland favors emotional consequence over shock, allowing the story to unfold with confidence in its own rhythms.
Working within tight constraints, Portland finds variation through performance and dialogue rather than plot mechanics. The film carries the influence of stripped down indie filmmaking without becoming self conscious. There is charm in its rough edges. The conversations are messy. The humor is dry and situational. The science is dense but never condescending. Universal trusts its audience to listen and engage rather than wait for answers to be handed over.
What lingers most is how the film frames discovery. Not as a lightning strike or a triumph, but as a destabilizing force. Ideas can excite, seduce, and fracture. They can pull people together or push them apart. Big business, power, and environmental anxiety hover at the edges of the story, but they never overwhelm it. At its core, Universal is about curiosity and compromise, and the cost of wanting to know more.
The film does not offer a neat conclusion or a grand reveal. Instead, it leaves space for reflection. That choice feels honest. Universal is modest in scope but generous in spirit, anchored by a tight ensemble and a clear sense of purpose. It may not change the world, but it asks the kind of questions that stay with you. And sometimes, that is the most meaningful discovery of all.
Comments