Wednesday 4 September 2019

Extraterrestrial (4 Stars)


Over the years there have been many films about alien invasions, from "Earth vs the Flaying Saucers" to "Independence Day". The Spanish film "Extraterrestrial" is unique among them.

The film takes place in Madrid. After a wild night out Julio wakes up in the bed of a woman he doesn't know. Did they have sex? He can't remember. All he knows is that he must have drunk a lot, because it's already 7:30 pm.

Something is strange. Phones have been cut off. There's no television or Internet. The streets are deserted. Luckily the girl, whose name is Julia – what a coincidence! – has a radio in her apartment. Is that common nowadays? I haven't had a radio at home for the last 19 years. Messages are being broadcast that the Earth is surrounded by flying saucers, and all the major cities have been evacuated. They see a huge flying saucer, about four miles wide, hovering over the centre of Madrid.

So are Julio and Julia the last people left in the city? Not quite. Julia's next door neighbour Angel remained behind, because he has a crush on Julia. The next day, Julia's boyfriend Carlos returns looking for her. It's an awkward situation. Julia tells Carlos that Julio wandered in from the street, but Angel knows that they had sex and threatens to tell Carlos.

As the days go by, the lies and the paranoia intensify. Carlos suspects that Angel is an alien in disguise, and Julio persuades him that this is true in order to get rid of him.

Even though the whole film takes place beneath an ominous flying saucer, it's not intended to be a science fiction film. It's a character study. It shows how four normal people react when they're thrown together in a situation of stress. It's a very slow film, and we never see the aliens, but if you like quiet, thoughtful films you'll enjoy it.


"So are you an alien, Angel?"


"What! Do I look like an alien?"

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