Director – Ward Roberts (Dust Up, Pro-Ana)
Starring – Ward Roberts, Jeremiah Birkett (The American Society of Magical Negroes, Lucifer), and Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club, Midnight Mass)
Release Date – 2023
Rating – 2/5
I’ve been a horror fan for as long as I can remember but there was a time when I was renting anything and everything I could at my local video store. Dewey’s Video was a huge part of my childhood and so were films like Mac and Me, Spaced Invaders, Critters, *batteries not included, and Invaders from Mars. I’ve always had a soft spot for sci-fi flicks with little aliens. I still find myself going out of my way to watch other movies like those from that time that I may have missed growing up.
A few weeks ago, I started receiving press releases for a sci-fi comedy called Invaders from Proxima B and it caught my attention. The invader was clearly a puppet and the trailer looked extremely fun. I reached out and was able to secure a screening link for it before it was released.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a man who witnesses something fall from the sky one evening at his home. He finds what looks like a small spacecraft of some kind but unable to find anyone or anything near it. The next day, he finally meets the pilot when he is introduced to a strange creature from Proxima B who has come to Earth to protect all life on the planet as Earth prepares to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. **Spoiler Alert**
I was really looking forward to checking out Invaders from Proxima B but about 15 minutes or so after hitting play I realized that I was in for a tough sit. As much as I wanted to like the film, I just couldn’t find anything enjoyable in it.
The acting in this one is hit or miss with me. I’ve reviewed dozens of family friendly horror, sci-fi, comedy, and dramas over the years so I’m accustomed to acting aimed at children. However, here the acting is a bit absurd and extremely overdramatic. Most of the cast have a lot of energy and great on-screen presence but they try to be characters you would find in television show for kids. I’ve watched enough Blippi with my kids and would like something a bit more original.
The story for this one was actually pretty clever and one I could really get behind. The entire planet being auctioned off to other advanced civilizations for various reasons is very imaginative with near limitless possibilities. However, having a little hand puppet there to save the day with alien hunters and so forth chasing them just felt like a missed opportunity. I was so looking forward to something like Alien Planet with more aliens and humor instead of Blippi with a puppet.
Finally, the film makes great use of visual effects. They do look cheap, but I honestly enjoyed them, and it added some much-needed color to the film. Overall, Invaders from Proxima B was a big disappointment. I was really looking forward to a fun family friendly flick with a puppet for an alien but that was not the case. The film just felt off from the very beginning and couldn’t pull it together before the credits rolled.
