Invasion (2021–2024) User Reviews

Too slow and too much personal drama

[pskkbrn · 5/10 · 4 January 2024]

I had to fast forward through several parts to get through it. Way too much drama stretched out in each of the character groups. You start to lose sympathy for some of the characters.

Also, the character Mitsuki Yamato is the most annoying of all. She acts like she's the only lesbian to exist on the planet. Always angry and very immature throwing tantrums through out the whole time. Even after 1 year into the event, she's acting like a spoiled brat. Grow up and put your big girl panties on!! Someone like that supposed to have an administrative position in JASA? Pleassseee, so un-realistic. SMH.

1st Season pretty good, 2nd season crashed out

[grey-brandon · 6/10 · 11 October 2023]

The first season was pretty good. It kept me watching. It had strong performances from all the actors. But the 2nd season became very boring and poorly put together. Maybe a change of directors? The actor's performances even changed. It went from an A-list caliber show to C-list. I loved the first season enough to give all 8 episodes of this season a chance. I figured maybe it would pick up but it did not. The new characters added are also bland- no disrespect to them because I blame whoever's behind the camera. Even the characters who gave strong performances last season were bland this season.

Jesus why oh lord is Aneesha and her annoying family in this show!?

[fikafoodmarbella · 5/10 · 5 December 2023]

Why would the writers make a script that portrays the Aneesha family in such an utterly annoying manner. All I want is for them to be killed off, as the more I watch the more retarded their story line is. Such a shame as the show has potential but it's almost like the writers want you to stop watching by making this family so unbearable to watch.... Can the writers at apple pls put two brain cells together and improve these characters, or for the love of god just annihilate them already!

If it wasn't for the kids in England the second season would have got one star from me and if it wasn't for the Aneesha family this show would have got 8 stars.

If a third season is in the pipeline (unlikely after season two) just focus on the kids in England and kill everyone else off. Oh yeah and it's a show about an alien invasion, a few more alien scenes might be a good idea, just saying...

Too many logic holes even for SciFi

[ebou-loum · 6/10 · 14 November 2023]

Annoying and completely stupid acting actors. Rarely seen a more unlikeable main character than Aneesha. The series is absolutely average, although the first season is significantly better than the second one. In the second season, the actors rarely acted logically in my opinion. The series can easily be watched on the side, it doesn't require uninterrupted attention. Unfortunately, the spark doesn't really jump over in terms of the characters, cast and above all sympathetic characters would probably have helped. Average entertainment, I stuck with it, but would have expected and hoped for much more.

Entertaining Enough

[Rob1331 · 8/10 · 10 November 2023]

Just starting watching Invasion with my brother and have to say that I really enjoyed it so far. It does start a little slow while it builds its world and characters up but I don't mind that. It does a good job of making you actually care about what happens to these characters. I don't understand why there are so many mixed reviews. If you like this kind of sci-fi genre then there's no reason not to like this. The acting and writing are both great as are the visuals. I'm glad that it did well enough to warrant another season because there's definitely still more story to tell. It's been nearly two years since the end of season one but the new season is finally coming out this summer.

Patience needed

[diescobarmdq · 7/10 · 6 November 2021]

UPDATE: It is a slow burn for sure, and the first 5 episodes will probably make you want to quit watching, but episode 6! Wow! If you keep watching, you probably won't stop after this episode.

It's like War of The Worlds and A Quiet Place together in one episode.

If only this episode happened earlier in the season! But I guess the creators really wanted to take their time and set the entire thing slowly. Very slowly!

When you finally see the aliens! OMG!

Your patience will be rewarded.

So very very slow.

[hf-30627 · 1/10 · 14 January 2024]

If you like science fiction this will disappoint, an indulgent character drama, each episode spends 45 mins flopping slowly around the 5 individuals. Numbingly slow. Strangely few of the characters are likeable. And for 70% of the series everyone is living in a mini drama with no idea of an invasion. As for the invaders will largely depend on how long you survive into the series before you see one. If this had been called 'when your house caves in ' or far from home you would feel you had value for money , but Sifi enthusiasts may well want to rewatch Watch only when you other things to do even then it will annoy you for its absolute lack of progress. Its a long haul watch .

Solid Sci-fi Series

[Supermanfan-13 · 8/10 · 13 December 2023]

Invasion is actually a pretty decent show. There are so many alien invasion shows and movies to choose from these days but I'd definitely recommend putting this on your list to watch. Some sci-fi fans may be a little disappointed because it doesn't have a bunch of action, it takes it time to build the story. It's about a group of aliens that come to Earth and threatens the very existence of humanity. The show follows five ordinary people from all over the world in real time as they do their best to survive this invasion. If you don't like slow burn tv shows then you probably won't like this either but I still think you should at least give it a chance. You might just like it.

Wtf

[jaycop · 6/10 · 23 October 2021]

An alien movie that doesn't want to be one... absolutely no need for this type of character development after the first 2 episodes. It doesn't even pull off the beautiful drama that it's trying to be either. It's just boring with a lame script & only a couple good actors..

Waste of time

[kiril-nacev · 1/10 · 9 February 2024]

The tension build-up in the first episode is quite intriguing, it actually fooled me into thinking that the series might be good.

And from that point on - everything just goes from bad to worse quite rapidly.

It's so absurd and pointless that already after episode 3 or 4 I wanted to stop watching, but somehow managed to push through until the end of episode 7, at which point I just couldn't handle anymore. At ca. 1 hour per episode that's 7 wasted hours of my life.

This series is one of the worst I've seen in my life. It's difficult to comprehend how Apple even invested money into making a Season 2 of this nonsense.

Do yourself a favour and don't waste time watching this series.

Way too dark! Really exhausted of watching it.

[cafardecho · 7/10 · 2 July 2023]

Oh, the level of darkness is simply overwhelming! I find myself incredibly fatigued from enduring its somber atmosphere. The underlying storyline, I must admit, holds a certain allure, but the perplexing decision to film it in such dimly lit settings is utterly confounding. It defies all logic and rationale. The relentless obscurity that pervades every scene is not only disorienting but also takes a toll on my poor eyes. They ache and strain from the strain of deciphering the obscured details. It becomes an arduous task to fully immerse oneself in the narrative when the visuals are shrouded in an unnecessary veil of darkness. It leaves me longing for a respite, a glimpse of vibrant light that can alleviate the weariness that has settled upon me. Alas, it remains an unfulfilled desire, as the creators seem determined to adhere to this peculiar aesthetic choice. Nonetheless, amidst the shadows, there exists a flicker of appreciation for the underlying brilliance of the tale. It is this glimmer of hope that sustains me, urging me to persist, even as my eyes plead for a reprieve from the oppressive gloom that dominates the screen.

Awful

[dmrivers-95798 · 2/10 · 5 February 2024]

This is a show where the remote will never leave your hand as you have to fast forward through HOURS of pointless dialogue... this is a show you can't even spoil because it goes absolutely no where! 2 seasons 20 episodes and we still have absolutely zero answers. If they removed all of the pointless dialogue then they would have maybe 5 episodes max. This is some of the laziest writing I have ever witnessed but I gave it 2 stars for being so bad that I couldn't stop watching because I kept asking myself "there is no way it can get any worse right?" and after finishing season 2 I am left speechless.

it's so boring

[Edeards · 22 October 2021]

I'll admit, I'm only three episodes in at writing this and I shall revisit once I've hit my limit, or should I actually end up liking it (Strong doubt).

I am all for slow burn and methodical set ups but so far this is nothing but a long hard slog. There are just too many character back stories to build up with which is by no means confusing but I just now have four story arcs spanning three episodes and zero care for any of them. It may not be so bad had the acting not been mediocre at best, or if everyone didn't already seem so bloody depressed.

So far; it's poorly written with garbage dialogue, the pacing is all over the plane and there's no likeable characters, all of that's had me reaching for my phone to fill a good chunk of the 58 min running time.

The first season kept me in, the second season - not so much

[wwsitzq-35844 · 6/10 · 15 September 2023]

I really loved the first season and so looked forward to the second one. But what a waste. The kid who hates his mother and has one deeply annoying emotional register for the entire series - I cringe when he's on the screen, as well as his cliched ever-suffering mom - just no! Enough. The Mitsuki character is the only one with whom I'm now engaged, other than the actor Shamier Anderson's soldier. Anderson acted his socks off in the first season. But he had a role. But where is he now? And don't get me going on the stereotype hipper than hip tech boss, who knows what's best for everyone - omg, what were they thinking? It's as if they took all the weak aspects of the first season and focused on those at the expense of everything that was truly riveting in the first season - its visual beauty and the mystery of love and friendship in a time of horror and the unknown. What a shame. I'll keep watching it until the end, but my expectations are completely blown.

A More Cerebral take on the Alien Invasion.

[fatfil-414-451797 · 9/10 · 24 November 2021]

If you're looking for an Independence day action movie, then move on. Quite surprised by all the negative reviews for this, I'm really enjoying it so far. I love that it is concentrating more on the human reaction than the actual aliens and the frontline invasion. Some might find it boring due to the lack of action, but for me it is a refreshing take on an old theme. If you want to see aliens being carved up by lasers then this won't be your cup of tea. But the very real reactions. And chaos that would most probably ensue after the event is very well played out. I did find some of the characters choices questionable throughout. But who knows how you'd react in such a situation.

I am sorry, I wish an alien would eat the little girl!

[danalaura-cazacu · 6/10 · 28 August 2023]

She is really getting on my nerves. The screaming at the wrong times kills any suspence the shows manages to build up in the very few alien-human interactions. It kills any veridicity to any scene.

I am not as mad as other reviewers are at it, but giving it a six was very indulgent on my part. It has a story for sure, some decent acting here and there. Could this have been a movie? Sure! Perhaps it would have been a better movie!

It is highly influenced by the Arrival but it lacks any depth. It is also influenced by Independence Day but it lacks the humor. I like the British Kid and the US soldier, I would have rather just focused on them and keep the other threads at a minimum.

Worth a watch if you finished everything else and you have nothing new coming in because corporations cannot be bothered to pay their writers.

Invasion... perhaps... maybe... eventually... but not right now

[Rob_Taylor · 3/10 · 26 October 2021]

You know those times when you are out shopping? You have a list, and a ton of other things to get done before you are done. Then suddenly you find yourself trapped behind those meandering fools who look upon shopping as a fun day out. Your schedule means nothing to them. The world owes them an amble, and to hell with anyone who just wants to get on.

Well, that sums up Invasion pretty well. There is a story here. A story that demands urgency. A story that demands action. A story that needs to get on.

However, it doesn't, because of the endless meandering of the overly melodramatic sub-stories that form the bulk of each episode's runtime.

This is something I've noticed more and more of late. Drama (and melodrama) wrapped up in another genre's coat to try and convince you it's worth your time.

As to whether Invasion will be worth your time, who can tell? So far at three episodes we know something is going on. We can assume from the title its an invasion, but we have no real clue any more than the characters in the show. Not that most of those characters really seem to care, being wrapped up in their own tedious dramatic scenes so completely as they are.

Honestly, if I wanted to watch a story about a woman finding out her husband is an adulterer, or a trite little play on Lord of the Flies with a schoolbus full of kids, I would watch something focussed on those things. Not something that is suggesting it's a scifi alien invasion story.

Now, the invasion may come at some point, but right now, its ninety percent dull melodrama. Imagine if you sat down to watch, say, Independence Day, and were told that first you had to watch three hours of some interminable soap opera that went nowhere. Would that sound attractive?

There is altogether too much filler content dressed up as background information to characters whom we don't know the importance of, nor what part they will play in the coming invasion. We have been given no reason to really care about any of them.

I'm hoping this interminably glacial pace will pick up as the season progresses, but I'm not hopeful. If it persists beyond the invasion itself, then it will kill the series stone dead. Because, honestly, when people sit down to watch an alien invasion story, its kind of important to, you know, have aliens in it.

EDIT: Watched 8 episodes now. Well... the invasion has happened! But you'll never see more than 1 of the aliens at a time and then only briefly. Still more endless melodrama that serves no purpose. Characters are even more unlikeable and useless than ever. Also, where is Sam Neill? I'm beginning to think that his presence in the promo and marketing was a bait-and-switch to suck people in. It's just increasingly boring and mediocre. I'm out.

SUMMARY: Dreadfully slow, filled with tedious melodrama to fill in the runtime. There's mystery, and then there's miss-tery, and this one is currently missing by a very long way. Not recommended.

Not a show for those with short attention spans

[ldbentz · 8/10 · 17 July 2022]

I enjoyed this series very much. It moves slowly, but remains interesting and suspenseful. The build up to what is coming seems realistic from a human standpoint. Hope we get another season.

An intelligent alien invasion movie

[durham100 · 7/10 · 22 October 2021]

Which is why the vast amount of reviewers are disappointed. It's a drama, not Independence Day. They've tried a different take on a worn out and oft repeated genre and I like it. The acting is solid and the effects very good. Yes there are some modern day boxes ticked but sadly you're going to get that everywhere until people see sense. Give it a go and don't listen to those who compare it to Falling Skies etc - it isnt meant to be like that.

So the point is?

[timewethink · 3/10 · 17 February 2024]

I guess the main lesson from this film is that when the aliens invade, just give up and let them kill you, it'll be better that suffering though this drivel.

It seems like maybe the director is trying to convey the confusion and lack of communication that this type of scenario would entail by dragging the audience through a similar experience. I'm 8 episodes in and I feel like it's taken a week to learn what could've been conveyed in an hour. I'll probably suffer through the rest because I'm a masochist when it comes to sci-dram-fi. This reminds me a bit of Solaris in that regard, so many hours I wish I had something better to do.

dont listen the negative reviews

[enjozsef · 10/10 · 18 November 2021]

Its a slow but a realy interesting sci fi movie. After the 6.th epizode im realy waiting the next one. But if you are looking a sci fi like battle los angeles or edge of tomorrow (anyway they was also great, but different) its not this. Here the people with the negative review are waiting an action movie, becouse thay think every sci fi has to be a action movie as you will see when you read them. But not every sci fi is action movie. At least the best ones are not. There is solaris, there is space odissey ect... give a shot. Its a good one. Even if actionmans are dont understand.

Misses the target

[stuff-63448 · 6/10 · 30 October 2021]

Fails at everything except cinematography .

Extremely slow moving plot, annoying 2 dimensional characters and barely qualifies as sci-fi as of episode 4.

Go aliens!!

[spanny-82339 · 4/10 · 23 January 2024]

Aside from the extremely slow pace, there's some very poor writing going on. Some of the lead characters are so horrible (and unbelievable) that you'd rather see the aliens take over. The Japanese storyline at least gives some insight as to what is happening and some effort to do something. The UK storyline highlights the isolation of a group of children in a Lord of the Flies like internal struggle. The US and Afghanistan plotlines' lead characters are the worst. Irrational, 2-dimensional caricatures of human beings moving through surreal situations. In the US nobody seems to talk to eachother about what's happening and both the population and authorities are running around like headless chickens. In Afghanistan the main character is a psycho mistreating the locals who are more in danger from him than any aliens.

unlikable charecters

[sithraeil · 11 October 2023]

Characters are poorly written and boring. There's so much unnecessary drama and most scenes are fillers. Aliens are just as lame as the characters in this series. Entertainment level zero.

If you loved rings of power, you will love this one too. It will leave you empty and annoyed. Avoid like the plague.

I would ask you to stop making series like this one, but you won't. So, what's the solution? Leave a bad review, rate it 1 star, hope people will read this and will avoid it.

And to all the bad writers out there who made this possible... you made a terrible mistake when you chose to work as a screenwriter.

Trying to get into Season 2 and it is ROUGH

[katford11 · 6/10 · 7 February 2024]

I liked the first season. It was slow starting, but I eventually got into it. The issue I'm having is that I HATE Luke. He drives me nuts! His mom, Aneesha, isn't much better. Mitsuki's character is somewhat interesting, but her plot points are SLOW. The best part of the show is the kids in the UK, but they don't appear often enough. So, I honestly don't know if I'll be able to keep going. It is so sad because I wanted to like season 2. I agree with all the people who are saying that the bulk of this show is too drama focused and not focused enough on the threat posed by the aliens. It just doesn't feel all that realistic. Throw in the interactions between the new knockoff UN and Nikhil Kapoor and it is just a bit silly.