Not your average, orange explosion Sci-Fi

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2016)

I don't see this as a sci-fi film. Not at all. The whole "alien visitor story" is just a vessel, a test tube in which the true story develops. Of course, this is only my perception, the reader is welcome to disagree. SPOILER ALERT: The main protagonist is an unimportant Portuguese language professor, whose classes are attended by a handful of (mostly uninspired) students. She's single, lonely and without children. So she develops a fantasy in which she is a centerpiece figure in an major world-wide political and historical event, involving mysterious, Lovecraftian aliens, whose intentions and language are unknown to mankind. She uses her skills and expertise to save the world from impending doom and receives global acclaim. In the process, she meets the man of her dreams that helps her solve the final puzzle and they get a lovely daughter soon afterwards, bringing her fantasy to a happy end. SPOILER ENDS HERE.
What sets this film apart from your average shallow Hollywood industry product are stunning, dark-ish visuals and overall atmosphere. The only problem is that this type of ride has been offered by Lynch's masterpieces such as Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive. Nevertheless, Hollywood has seriously lowered the standards by which any film is judged, therefore this one really stands out in the stale swamp of dysfunctional superheros with issues. Highly recommend watching in theater.