“Terrestrial”

There are a lot of moving parts in “Terrestrial,” director Steve Pink‘s strange little film that’s part psychological thriller, part lo-fi science fiction, and part cautionary Hollywood tale. It has some memorable moments (mostly stemming from the disturbing imagery in the final act), but getting there is a bit tedious. The first half drags, weighed down by a cast of characters that are hard to root for. Everyone feels either smug, bitter, or just deeply unpleasant, which makes it tough to stay emotionally engaged while the story takes its time warming up.

The film tells the story of Allen (Jermaine Fowler), a sci-fi author who finally hits the big time. To celebrate, Allen invites his old college friends for a fun-filled weekend at his Hollywood Hills mansion. What should be a rousing three days of friendship and partying is anything but. Things feel off from the get-go, with Allen’s often erratic behavior making the reunion extremely awkward.

As the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur, the film slowly leans into its horror elements and builds toward a chaotic and bloody final act that finally delivers some genuine suspense and impact.

There’s a solid concept buried in here, especially in the film’s themes. The story explores the pressure to appear successful, the loneliness of ambition, and how far people will go to be seen, respected, and ultimately remembered. This makes it even more of a shame that the film struggles so much with its tone and pacing.

You can tell the film wants to be smart and unsettling, but the “twist” at its core feels overly familiar and not as clever as it thinks it is. And because the characters are written with so little warmth or nuance, you’re more likely to feel detached than disturbed (if you can even muster up enough care at all).

With its genre-blending indie thrills, touch of horror, and Hollywood satire, “Terrestrial” isn’t a bad film, it just bites off more than it can chew.

By: Louisa Moore