‘Alien Country’ FrightFest Halloween 2024 Review: An Exhilarating Thrill Ride
One of the most downright entertaining movies to screen at FrightFest Halloween this year was Alien Country, an unashamedly boisterous adventure about extraterrestrials attacking a small US town. Making his feature debut, director Boston McConnaughey delivers a film that will thrill sci-fi fans.
Renny Grames stars as Everly, a country singer who desperately wants to escape from the isolated desert town where she was raised. Everly also has an on-and-off relationship with Jimmy Walker (K.C. Clyde), the town’s mechanic, who will clearly be sad to see her go. However, Everly’s plans to enter a singing contest in a major city are interrupted by the arrival of quadrupedal alien monsters, who clearly want to rip the townsfolk to pieces.
Everly and Jimmy are utterly convincing as an on-and-off couple unsure if they still have feelings for each other. The banter between the pair really makes them seem like two people with a lot of history. While their constant bickering does get a little tiresome, the two performers still give their roles everything they had. There’s even an extended, uninterrupted shot in which Jimmy and Everly solemnly discussed their plans for the future. The director deserves credit for simply allowing Clyde and Grames to act to the best of their abilities throughout this extended shot, without any distractions. It comes as no surprise that Grames wrote the screenplay alongside McConnaughey, because this is very much a story about Everly’s growth as a person.
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Everly and Jimmy aren’t alone in their quest to save the town. They’re accompanied by Ben (Charan Prabhakar), a fast-talking alien in human form, who helps to lighten the mood when things get too serious. And Barta Heiner also appears as Nana, an eccentric conspiracy theorist who does her best to keep the aliens at bay. Charla Bocchicchio appears as the villainous Gina, a sinister alien who also takes the form of a human. Each of the actors does their best to make their roles memorable and humorous without ever being too over-the-top, which helps to make Alien Country into a gratifying viewing experience.
There are also plenty of humorous moments throughout the film, and the comedy was amplified by the dedicated performances of the cast. However, not every joke in the film lands. For instance, there was a running gag in which the characters constantly called a fast food worker by the wrong name, which very quickly becomes irritating. And yes, because this is a film about aliens, the line “Get away from her, you bitch” was used at one point. But the relentlessly fast pace means that viewers don’t have too much time to be distracted by the occasional weak joke.
Despite its clearly limited budget, the filmmakers did everything they possibly could to make Alien Country look and feel like a summer blockbuster. There are thrilling action set pieces in which the townsfolk went to war against the alien invaders, complete with shootouts and explosions, as well as exhilarating action sequences in which stunt drivers literally plowed their vehicles into the monsters. We’re also treated to sequences on the home world of the alien and glimpses of the colorful sections of deep space, which really make Alien Country a visual spectacle.
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Plus, the crustacean-inspired design of the aliens was original and refreshing, especially since so many movies and TV shows give aliens humanoid appearances. There was also a stark contrast whenever the glowing, green aliens appeared against the harsh desert landscapes, which really makes them seem otherworldly.
Although it won’t receive a wide theatrical release, Alien Country still clearly aims for a PG-13 rating, which means there’s no gore or strong profanity. Although this may disappoint viewers hoping for gruesome aliens massacres, this is still a film that’ll reach a broader audience due to its lack of mature content. However, the thrilling action set-pieces and visual effects help atone for the lack of gore.
Alien Country is ultimately an unashamedly fun and light-hearted action comedy that’ll appeal to anyone with a passion for the sci-fi genre. It may be too silly for some and too tame for others, but this is still an exhilarating story about the resolve of a small town in the face on an alien attack. As long as you do not expect anything which takes itself too seriously, you’re in for a great time.
Summary
With its exciting action set-pieces and its dedicated performances, Alien County is a film which will certainly be appreciated by sci-fi fans.Text
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