PrimeWire

This is a slow burn film, not for the impatient. It’s definitely one where you have to sit in a nice, quiet dark room and let the visual effects absorb. To me, it is one of the most beautiful and stark films dealing with aliens, and certainly one of the most unique. If you’re expecting an action or more traditional sci-fi alien film, this one may not be for you. It definitely veers closely to the “art house” genre, but not quite. There is very little dialogue, and a lot left up to your own interpretation—- something many fans of Hollywood films might not enjoy, as it doesn’t spell out every detail or explain every metaphor play-by-play as it is happening.
Every scene is very carefully crafted, a smoldering mix of soft nuance and stark bleakness. The ending hit me like a ton of bricks, even though it happens rather quickly after a long build.
One after another, we’re often presented with obvious, loud, ugly and over the top special effects in American cinema—— not so here. The FX alone deserve high praise in their artistry, a delicate balance of contrasting feelings put forth with very little dialogue and unique imagery.
It is also quite nice to see Scarlett Johansen in something decidedly different than the films she’s usually in. As I mentioned, there is very little dialogue, but she carries each scene with an intensity (that still remains carefully subtle) that reminds me of certain old silent film stars. Her face, her eyes, are deeply expressive, and convey a lot more than words could, especially for such strange subject matter like an alien trying to navigate the human world in a borrowed human body.

This is one of high strangeness, much creepier and colder than your typical space alien film, a bit more reminiscent of some of the stranger accounts of IRL alien encounters. It’s moody, dark, bitter, cold, and at times confusing, but left me with a lot to think about regarding symbolism and what a ‘human experience’ might be to another being.