Directed by Kelly Reynolds, from a script by Glen L. Wolfe, ‘The Green Manifesto’ is a Star Trek fan film that follows the antagonist Colonel Phillip Green. Blake Bryant stars as Green, with Michele Reynolds as Dr. Rysta and Dan R. Reynolds as Dr. Burroughs. The sci-fi short explores Greens conquest to infect Earth’s population with a deadly virus and to provoke civil unrest.
The 5-minute low-budget short opens with a frustrated Green – the biologic terrorism he orchestrated has failed to deliver maximum fatalities. Half a million are dead with 5 million recovered. Dr. Rysta has discovered that the virus may have been manipulated by its creator to limit the lethality. Green interrogates the virus’s engineer, Dr. Burroughs, about the weak results.
‘The Green Manifesto’ is unfortunately cringeworthy and substandard. The narrative is strong, loosely inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, but production has resulted in a low-grade finish. Production design and the musical soundtrack give the sense of a satirical sketch – rather than a sci-fi dramatization. Acting delivery is equally weak, with most of the cast delivering immoderate performances. Fans of the Star Trek franchise may find a soft spot for the film, but general viewers will lose engagement fairly quickly. Glen L. Wolfe’s script deserved a better vision.
