A seriously under-rated, shocking and scary movie

Rating: 8/10 (25 March 2009)

The less said about the plot the better, but I will say that Nicolas Cage puts in his best performance in years and in what starts off looking like it's going to be another typical Nic Cage adventure movie quickly turns into a dark and scary sci-fi disaster movie with essences of The X-Files, Armageddon and the best M. Night Shyamalan thrillers.
The score is also worthy of mention, as it borrows much from John Williams' Jaws, but also reminds you of E.T. and Close Encounters, i.e. a powerful score that becomes part of the movie, rather than just playing softly in the background.
This film will surprise you and it will scare you, if not in its intense and graphic disaster sequences, then in its many spine-chilling scenes of terror when our lead characters are in the woods, in a car or in their own bedroom! This is not a family-friendly disaster movie that has any comic moments like Armageddon or Independence Day, but a more modern disaster movie for our time that you will either love or hate. Some of the audience will laugh at its ridiculousness, but others will find its impact stay with them long after they've left the cinema. To entertain, this film relies on your suspension of disbelief. For a deeper impact, it depends on what you really believe in. At its core, this film is a debate on coincidence versus fate.
The movie plays well on a big screen with big sound, but will not have such an impact on the small screen. This movie may go on to become a highly under-rated, under-watched cult classic or it may spawn a new wave of far more family-friendly disaster movies but with the same theme... it will probably do both! Go and see it... twice.