‘Edge of the World’ Review: All-Too-Familiar Historical Epic Explores the Old and the New
Michael Nordine authorWith its winsome narration, frequent cutaways to nature and focus on discovery, “Edge of the World” resembles nothing so much as Terrence Malick’s similarly titled “The New World.” Say this for director Michael Haussman and writer Rob Allyn: They have good taste. Their period drama set in 19th-century Borneo may not rise to the level of its lyrical predecessor — few movies do, after all — but there are worse transgressions than a film’s grasp exceeding its reach.In yet another similarity to Malick’s retelling of the American creation myth, “Edge of the World” follows an English explorer who finds more than he was expecting upon arriving in a foreign land.