Link: The Host
Summary: After an alien invasion, an alien tries to take over a teenage girl’s body, but the girl’s mind fights back and they end up sharing the body. The girl forces the alien to find her loved ones, rebels who are resisting the invasion and hiding in the desert. Meanwhile, the alien develops a love interest of her own, because apparently being a 1,000 year old alien is very similar to being a teenage girl.
Thoughts: I wanted to check this out as it was directed by Andrew Niccol, who wrote and directed Gattaca and In Time, and wrote The Truman Show, all of which I enjoyed. Would he be able to turn something by Stephanie Meyer into an enjoyable sci-fi? The answer is a resounding NO. This film was awful. I could’ve forgiven the stupid girly romance nonsense if it had created any interesting conflict, or made any sense in the first place. (Why is such an old alien falling in love with a random earth dude?) Instead, the conflict is just “oh no, the human part of me loves this guy, and the alien part of me loves this other guy, I guess I should just make out with both of them!” For example, what if she was forced to save only one or the other? That would’ve been interesting. But no twists like that are explored.
Secondly, the aliens made no sense. They’re at first portrayed as these morally elite beings who don’t believe in lying or cheating or stealing or killing, yet they have no problem killing most humans by taking over their bodies. No explanation is given as to why they think this is perfectly morally OK, yet strongly oppose the rest of humanity’s moral weaknesses.
Thirdly, we’ve got what Blake Snyder would call “double mumbo jumbo” — that is, more than one crazy thing the audience has to accept. First we have to accept that aliens have invaded and have taken over human bodies. OK, we can go along with that for the sake of a story. But then we learn that the rebels are hiding in this huge bigger-than-a-mansion desert cave, where they have electricity, water, a huge farm powered with giant mirrors, a medical room, room for vehicles, and a room for clap-off lightning bugs that seem to exist only to look cool and romantic. It’s just ridiculously far-fetched. We are told that there is only one secret entrance to the place, yet sunlight is pouring in throughout the place, lighting all the rooms and halls. Only one entrance? The place is full of holes!
Fourthly, how incredibly dumb do you have to be to accidentally slice your leg while reaping crops?
Really horrendous film.