Amazing vision, perception-altering bending of reality... but melodramatic

Rating: Null/10 (5 October 2016)

Worthy film, no doubt. A dying race of extraterrestrial omnipotent beings, called "The Strangers," abduct some human beings. They entrap them in an inescapable city that ultimately has no exits and conduct experiments on them, inhabiting the bodies of the dead to move freely among the humans. Eventually, they find what they are looking for. The film begins thusly.
Its "film noir but in color" style is executed to near perfect effect. I loved the various self-referential and early-gangster-film-referential tidbits. They're most obvious whenever May is on screen, but they're present almost throughout.
There are those who get confused watching this and get frustrated that they are so confused by it. It is intentional--you are watching this mostly from John Murdoch's perspective. John is starting out with a blank slate. In fact, his naked stumbling entrance into the story from the bathtub is arguably a metaphorical birth. Try giving it two or three viewings.
The story could definitely be called an odyssey into the human condition. As John makes his way through the city, trying to piece together who he is, he is dogged at every turn by The Strangers.
Eventually John learns a bit too much--as did detective Wolensky. The city is in fact, a complete fabrication created by the strangers in the hopes of overcoming their own mortality. They want to find the human soul and harvest it to overcome extinction. And find the human soul they do.
It's only weak point, to me, is the over-the-top melodrama. It serves its purpose and feeds the eerie atmosphere of the story, and if you can accept it, it probably won't cause any problems for you. But looking at it objectively I don't think I could argue against it being a downright hokey film. This really comes to a head at the climax of the film, which was, while strong, the film's weakest point. If you can't accept the melodrama, you may come away frustrated.
I definitely feel this one, though. It was underrated and largely overlooked. I recommend giving it a try.