Jasmín Arriaga Hedges - Designer
Annihilation (2018)
An alien invasion where not only they bring themselves, but their entire alien ecosystem. Think of it like the Lion, the witch, and the Wardrobe but instead of walking into a magical “Arthurian” kingdom, you walk into completely unfamiliar territory where only the bravest scientific and military-trained humans could explore. After an initial exploration trial that led to more questions than answers, a group of women enter the so-called “shimmer” only to find out that someone (or something) has been slowly altering our world and our species. Prepare for lots of thought provoking conversations of “what if this could happen” as well as lots of jump scares.
Monsters (2010)
OK, this puts NASA as the forefront for the downfall of humanity as the living species’ GOAT... Years after a NASA probe full of Alien objects crashes into Earth and has taken over half of Mexico (I know... Is it even ethical to find alien life and bring it here?? But I guess that’s a SETI Talks topic for another day) anyway, a journalist and his boss’ daughter navigate through the “secured” alien zone to get back to the United States. Time is their enemy as the grave threat grows greater to reach safety. This story is common, taking an immigration story and looking it through an alien invasion lens.
Color Out of Space (2010)
If you asked for true horror I’ll give you 2 words, Nicolas Cage. This H.P. Lovecraft alien invasion film starts slowly with the introduction of a family of 5 living in an isolated land in the woods. The eldest son uses his own version of SETI @ home to explore the secrets of the universe, little did he know his curiosity would soon get the results he needed landing right in their front yard. This meteorite that landed is like no other, the environment is changing, people are changing, animals are changing, and even technology is out of control. Prepare yourselves for a very intense colorful ride mixed with some poltergeist elements (including the super scary intuitive small child) and you’ve got yourself a horror movie. Watch with caution as it’s hard to watch at times, truly horrific and gross and will leave you uncomfortable. For a fun campy scary movie, skip this one and watch my next pick.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Based on my previous reviews, this invasion film is pretty tame and classic, even for Killer Klowns! These clowns are here on a mission to disrupt the lives of some rowdy teenagers, and, you know, use them as sustenance. You won’t find any military here! You’ll find toys as scary weapons, naturally. Killer Klowns from Outer Space will make a huge game out of your fears. Most of all, this movie will make sure you’ll google if the random “unmanned” circus that just popped up by the field is legit before just wondering in. A+ as a cult classic, A+ as pure terror if, like me, you grew up in the same town where this was filmed and you hear the circus is in town… Looks like a sequel is in the works too!Read More Staff Picks:
