I’m pretty sure this film invented the color red.Like, this shit looks gorgeous. They use extremely vibrant oranges and reds sparingly, but every time they do it pops so beautifully.Imagine boarding a plane that has both a bomber and an assassin on it. Talk about bad luck. Then your plane crashes! From bad to worse! And that’s before the living mercury blob oozes itself into a passengers brain and starts sucking everybody’s blood. You should’ve stayed in bed.The opening stretch is a phenomenal start (especially the scene where the alien claims its first victim) but unfortunately it can’t maintain that energy and gradually loses steam until the end revitalizes it a bit. That middle section is atmospheric and tense, but there’s too much stupidity happening with dumb decisions and constant backstabs. I do like that the survivors ultimately are a bigger threat to themselves rather than the extraterrestrial Dracula. The constant tension and paranoia break them down into sweaty, selfish animals that desperately want to survive. This would’ve been such an incredible Twilight Zone episode.The effects are pretty wild. The wonky green-screen effect during the opening and the plane crash are both terrible and awesome effects. The spaceship is otherworldly with its glowing exterior and abstract interior. The best effect is when the alien splits a human’s forehead open to gloop itself into their brain. The scene where it exits the skull is equally impressive. Unfortunately during the day scenes the possessed victim does look like a dude with a giant vagina on his forehead.I also want to mention the all consuming void that is the night in this. It does wonders for the feelings of unease and isolation. It almost feels like the night will never end.The ending rules so much (though it does linger a bit too long). I adore endings like this, a “quiet apocalypse” if you will. All we’re seeing is a microcosm of something that’s happening everywhere. Alien 2: On Earth had a similar ending.Finally, I wholeheartedly agree with the message of this film: Let’s stop killing each other and kill aliens instead!
