It will be interesting to look back on disaster films of this period and consider how many of them could be interpreted as Trump-era allegories. This one, set in Chicago in the year 2027, has a juicy premise: nine years earlier, a grotesque alien species invaded Earth, and instead of fighting back, most humans, including those who ran the governments, capitulated. Nevertheless, resistance grew in major cities. The film swings between following a cadre of insurgents in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood and the alien-loyal police on their tail. Written and directed by Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), this thriller drags in stretches and frequently rings nonsensical. Overall it’s a mess, compounded by murky CGI and some unrealistic performances. John Goodman is solid as a shifty police commander, but the narrative fails to hide his character’s motivations.
Reader Recommends: FILM & TV
Our critics review the best on the big and small screens and in the media.
