Few genres of films ignite my interest as much as science fiction, especially when they involve aliens or the threatened destruction of Earth.  I can’t help it, it’s just what floats my boat.  So when this minor little low-budget independent movie caught my eye I wasted no time in seeing what it had to offer.  The bad news is that it tries way too hard to be hip and modern; the good news is that it actually has some cool and even fresh aspects.  With a couple of more rewrites this might have evolved into something pretty good.

Stephen Ohl’s film finds four old friends reuniting after years apart, only their reunion is interrupted by the arrival of a power outage and a very suspicious being who glows.  Also gumming things up are a pair of women who trail the being and who work for a mysterious employer.  To be sure, it isn’t much of a premise, but the script provides enough comedy and intrigue to keep things moving along.

The four friends (Josh Zuckerman, Rushi Kota, Davida Williams and Luke Youngblood) interact well together, even if their partying and drinking seems awfully forced.  The two women (Edy Ganem and Maya Kazan) are serious yet funny, but the script isn’t sure what to do with them as things advance.  The alien aspect is actually pretty interesting, which is surprising considering the low budget.  There’s a twist at the end that is transmitted early on but still has an impact when it occurs.

For fans of this type of material, this is certainly worth a peek, and perhaps some serious thought afterwards.  And if alien movies always seem stupid to you, well then this one is just one to add to that list.  But it’s fun to see filmmakers turn a goofy idea into something a little more substantial, yet still silly.  Except for the perennially drunk guy I enjoyed this group of first contacters having to improvise in order to stop yet another alien takeover.  This concept never gets old for me.  ☆ ☆.  31 March 2021.