Arrowhead

Arrowhead

Year: 2015

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: English

Director: Jesse O'Brien

A prisoner of war, Kye finds himself caught in a conflict he doesn't support. Offered a chance at freedom, he embarks on a rescue mission that goes awry when his ship crashes on a desert moon. Stranded and facing a harsh environment, Kye discovers that the greatest threat to his survival might be his own inner demons and primal instincts.

Dark
Bittersweet ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Mixed pacing
Complex story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Arrowhead (2015)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Arrowhead (2015). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Far future

Set in a distant future of space warfare and frontier science. Time-dilation experiments and cybernetic upgrades frame the conflict between factions. The story unfolds across days and years as characters chase data, rescue loved ones, and wrestle with the relativistic consequences of their actions.

Location

Mining colony on the desert moon, Arrowhead spacecraft

The action centers on a remote mining colony on a harsh desert moon. Escape pods and a tense standoff anchor the early sequence, while the orbiting Arrowhead and its AI add a high-tech backdrop to the revolt. The barren, hazardous setting—dust storms, toxic atmosphere, and enigmatic obelisks—drives the survival and conflict throughout.

🪐 Space frontier 🏭 Mining colony 🌑 Desert moon

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:50

Main Characters – Arrowhead (2015)

Meet the key characters of Arrowhead (2015), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Kye Cortland (Dan Mor)

A skilled pilot and prisoner-rebel who must adapt to a rapidly changing mission. He accepts a cybernetic foot upgrade, driven by loyalty to the rebellion and a desire to protect his father. His resolve is tested by the awakening symbiote and the choice between escape and duty.

🛰 Pilot 🧭 Rebel 🗡 Warrior

Norman Oleander (Christopher Kirby)

The former security chief who is revived by an obelisk. He becomes host to a planet-scale organism, oscillating between threat and manipulation as the story unfolds. Cortland ultimately confronts him in a fatal clash as the cycle of revival repeats.

🗡 Security 🪖 Leadership 🧬 Symbiotic

Tarren Hollis (Aleisha Rose)

A biologist aboard Arrowhead who suspects Cortland of Hatch’s plans. She revives Cortland using biometric data and advocates for a fair trial. She survives the ordeal and escapes the moon with another pod.

🧪 Scientist 🛡 Survivor

Tobias Hatch (Mark Redpath)

A ruthless rebel leader who engineers the hijack and pursues data to win the war and free Cortland’s father. He commits mass murder in pursuit of power and is ultimately killed when Cortland transforms.

🗡 Tyrant 🔎 Strategist

RE3F (Voice) (Shaun Micallef)

The ship’s AI who guides Cortland and Hollis through the vessel’s systems and unlocks information only when prompted. After upgrades, RE3F gains more capabilities and becomes a critical ally in the struggle for survival.

🤖 AI 🧠 Assistant

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:50

Major Themes – Arrowhead (2015)

Explore the central themes of Arrowhead (2015), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧭 Survival

Escaping a brutal political prison, Cortland and others must improvise under extreme conditions. The desert moon's hostile environment and faulty tech force decisions grounded in necessity. Sacrifice and loyalty drive the group as alliances shift and mortal danger persists.

🧬 Transformation

The symbiote infection gives Cortland a terrifying insectoid form under stress, testing his humanity. Oleander's revival via obelisks creates a host for a planet-wide organism, blurring lines between person and ecosystem. The narrative asks what remains of identity when biology reshapes you. The tension between autonomy and external control runs through the story.

⏳ Time and Power

Relativistic time dilation makes minutes feel like days and days feel like years, shaping rescue chances and villainous plans. The moon becomes a sandbox where time is weaponized by Hatch and Lang. The consequences of manipulating time weigh heavily on all characters, especially Cortland as he fights to save his father.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:50

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Sci-Fi Psychological Survival Horror Movies like Arrowhead

Characters pushed to their mental and physical limits while fighting to survive in hostile alien environments.If you liked the intense survival and psychological breakdown in Arrowhead, explore more movies where characters face alien worlds and inner demons. These films combine sci-fi settings with heavy emotional weight, dark tones, and complex battles for sanity and survival.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives typically involve a character or small group isolated in a dangerous, often extraterrestrial, location. The plot revolves around their struggle for survival against both environmental hazards and a creeping psychological threat, which may be internal (madness, transformation) or external (a mysterious, unseen enemy). The journey is as much about confronting personal demons as it is about physical endurance.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared fusion of sci-fi aesthetics with deep psychological horror and survivalist tension. They create a specific, harrowing vibe where the vastness of space contrasts with claustrophobic fear, and the protagonist's humanity is the ultimate stake.

Movies with Bittersweet Endings After Heavy Choices like Arrowhead

Protagonists endure profound ethical challenges, achieving a costly victory that leaves them forever changed.For viewers who appreciated the heavy emotional weight and morally ambiguous, bittersweet ending of Arrowhead, this thread collects films where protagonists make hard choices. These stories feature complex narratives and leave characters permanently altered by their harrowing journeys.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative arc is defined by a protagonist being forced into a conflict or situation that challenges their core values. They undergo a trial that involves significant sacrifice, betrayal, or loss, often causing them to compromise their own humanity. The ending provides a resolution to the immediate crisis but is tinged with melancholy, acknowledging the irreversible personal cost and the ambiguity of their actions.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a specific emotional trajectory: a descent into a dark, complex situation resulting in a conclusion that is both victorious and tragic. The focus is on the lasting impact of trauma and difficult choices, creating a profoundly heavy and thought-provoking viewing experience.

Unlock the Full Story of Arrowhead

Don't stop at just watching — explore Arrowhead in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Arrowhead is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Arrowhead Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Arrowhead, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Arrowhead Summary

Arrowhead Timeline

Track the full timeline of Arrowhead with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Arrowhead Timeline

Arrowhead Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Arrowhead that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Arrowhead Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Arrowhead

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Arrowhead: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Arrowhead

Explore More About Movie Arrowhead

Arrowhead (2015) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Arrowhead (2015) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

Arrowhead (2015) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow