![\"Olivia](\"https:\/\/www.slashfilm.com\/img\/gallery\/before-house-of-the-dragon-olivia-cooke-starred-in-a-sci-fi-movie-that-will-make-you-cry\/intro-1791158507.jpg\")
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IFC Films<\/p>\n
While global audiences currently recognize Olivia Cooke as the calculating Alicent Hightower in the hit HBO series House of the Dragon<\/em>-a role she famously hesitated to pursue<\/a>-her filmography extends far beyond the political machinations of the Seven Kingdoms. Fans of high-stakes espionage have also seen her reprise her role as Sid Baker in the acclaimed series Slow Horses<\/em><\/a>. However, tucked away in her earlier work is a poignant science fiction gem that offers a stark, tear-jerking contrast to her more mainstream television appearances.<\/p>\n Before she was commanding the screen in high-budget fantasy epics, Cooke delivered a devastating performance alongside Jack O’Connell in the 2020 film Little Fish<\/em>. The narrative centers on a young couple struggling to maintain their bond as a mysterious, global pandemic begins to systematically erase the memories of the infected. Unlike traditional sci-fi films that focus on technological spectacle, Little Fish<\/em> functions as an intimate, gut-wrenching character study about the fragility of human connection.<\/p>\n The film\u2019s emotional resonance is amplified by the current cultural climate; in an era where neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer\u2019s affect over 55 million people worldwide, the movie\u2019s premise feels less like speculative fiction and more like a grounded, terrifying reality. It serves as a cinematic mirror to the real-world grief of watching a loved one slowly fade away.<\/p>\n The film was helmed by director Chad Hartigan, an Irish-American filmmaker known for his minimalist yet deeply affecting storytelling. Hartigan\u2019s trajectory in independent cinema has been marked by a consistent focus on human vulnerability. His career, which kicked off with the 2008 short Luke and Brie Are on a First Date<\/em>, has consistently explored the complexities of relationships through projects like This is Martin Bonner<\/em> and the critically lauded Morris From America<\/em>. By blending his signature grounded style with a sci-fi premise, Hartigan elevates Little Fish<\/em> into a profound meditation on what remains of us when our past is stripped away.<\/p>\nA Heartbreaking Vision of Memory Loss<\/h2>\n
The Visionary Behind the Lens<\/h2>\n