The Horror Show
Extraterrestrial
by Colin Minihan
A group of friends head to a cabin in the woods for the weekend and find themselves terrorized by alien intruders.
Imagine that? Another horror film where a group of bratty teens go to a cabin in the woods to get drunk and high and suddenly all hell breaks loose and they’re fighting for their lives. Sounds like every other horror movie you’ve ever watched am I right?
Well yeah, it does, but the movie is totally not. I loved this film, and I mean, I really loved it. I had to think about it long and hard when the credits rolled, and after some serious deliberation, I’ve come to the conclusion that this movie was awesome. And what makes it even better? It’s an IFC Midnight release, and considering every other IFC Midnight release I’ve watched has bored me to tears or has been laughable, Extraterrestrial impressed me that much more.
Now, there truly isn’t much more to the plot other than the fact that a bunch of dumb kids go to the woods, get drunk, act stupid, and then get attacked by aliens. Throw in a conspiracy here and there, some small town cops, a pot-farmer living off the grid, a government secret, and some silly looking (yet dangerous) alien guys, and the film is pure entertainment.
The cast is absolutely fantastic and the acting was great. I have to give major credit to Jesse Moss (who has been in such films as Tucker & Dale vs Evil and Ginger Snaps) because he plays such a perfect asshole in this film. Not to mention that I have no idea if he was going for it, but his character of Seth was like the perfect marriage of Jason Mewes and Aaron Paul. But the leading lady of our film, Brittany Allen was awesome. She was the perfect blend of bad-ass and sweetheart. I have to admit I’ve never seen her in any other film, but she fits wonderfully in a horror role and I hope to see more of her work. Other cast members are no strangers to the horror genre such as Melanie Papalia (The Den and Smiley), Sean Rogerson (Grave Encounters and Underworld: Evolution) and a great cameo appearance is made by Michael Ironside.
So, here’s the thing…there was a point where I actually got angry and was ready to shut Extraterrestrial off. This point was when the character of Seth pulls out a hand-held video camera and begins to document the drunken antics of the group, when suddenly a gigantic UFO comes out of the nowhere and crashes in the woods. The group decides to go find out what happened, as they think a plane has crashed and that there could be survivors. I was fuming, looking at my fiancé and saying “I’m seriously going to be so pissed and shut this movie off if it just became a found footage film.”
But I held out, and the movie basically laughed at found footage and resumed being amazing. (I’m not knocking found footage, but there are lines that can be crossed.) There were also several times throughout the film where the comedy was executed in a way that you didn’t realize it was getting tropey on purpose until it was too late and you were cracking up. In the same way that Cabin in The Woods makes fun of itself and other horror movies, Extraterrestrial succeeded at being a fabulously appropriate self-aware horror film.
As the film progresses, it continues to be a silly, campy alien movie, but at the same time, begins to take a darker turn. There are three different times that I thought the film was going to end, and when it continued, I was pleasantly surprised and ever so satisfied. I would never risk spoiling the end, but I will say it’s as hilarious as it is heartbreaking and sick.
The film was written by The Vicious Brothers, the same duo that brought you Grave Encounters, which I never did see, but have heard nothing but wonderful things. It doesn’t surprise me, as Extraterrestrial will probably go on to become a major underground hit. Do yourselves a favor, and as soon as you get the opportunity, watch this film.
Stevie Kopas, HMS
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