Alien Arrival (2016) User Reviews

Better than the score would suggest

[johnpechon · 5/10 · 14 January 2018]

It's a low budget film and much is what you would expect. Cliches and bad to decent writing. There isn't a ton of dialogue though so it isn't a big sore spot. Acting is okay to good. Effects are okay except the monster scenes.

Where the movie shines is the world it creates. It's a convoluted and messy story but enjoyable by the end. After the film I had to look up if this was an original story. It seemed like the setup for a comic book or something. Couldn't find anything so I was impressed.

Good effort.

[sidneygchambers · 4/10 · 30 December 2018]

Obviously very low budget but not at all bad. Lot of bits that di£not seem to fit or perhaps in my case i didn't get tha scene. Acting was okay too, but as a whole, this film did not quite get there. Good effort in a tough world.

Slightly interesting, muddled first-time effort

[aaronclawrence · 3/10 · 9 September 2016]

This movie may be a good first time effort for the director, but it does almost everything wrong. The story can't decide what it's about, the characters are thinly sketched and inconsistent, the effects from tolerable to embarrassing, and the sets and locations looked almost exactly like a 70s Doctor Who or Star Trek effort. There is sometimes a decent atmosphere and some camera work is effective. But it's the muddled story which often makes no sense, that killed it for me. It's not that is was too complex, it's simply that scenes, and even individual dialog lines, didn't connect to each other in any way.

I think possibly if you watched it slightly drunk and with the sound off, it could seem like an amusing diversion, because of some effective images - mostly skies with planets and ships. But trying to follow it like a proper movie just leads to disappointment.

B-class yawner

[Snootz · 4/10 · 23 October 2018]

Can't say much about this without getting into spoilers. But:

* Decent acting * Decent directing * Slacker plot with a lot of unanswered questions

Not a terrible film, but a notch below mediocre. Nice plot twist that's somewhat unexpected, but most of the film is very slow moving, unexplained, with a generous dose of goofy thrown in. If not for the decent acting and characters (including the AI), this would have been a total schlock loss. The actors and directing keep it from getting less than 4 stars... but even they can't save a plot and story line that was lame from the beginning. Simply needed more development and a bit more ingenuity. As it is, it just doesn't work.

Flies

[darrendanielsmith · 4/10 · 19 August 2018]

What's with all the flies? Probably drove the actors crazy.

Not a great film, but an interesting one

[kualajimbo · 5/10 · 26 August 2016]

Honestly I had never heard about this film going in, so I had no idea what to expect. This Arrowhead is pretty good quality for something low budget, but there are times, particularly in the first scene, where you could probably guess this film had limited funds.

The film certainly has many weaknesses, like a lack of subtlety, it often brings a lot of attention to details that at the time seem completely pointless and a waste of time, most of these moments eventually have a purpose but it still stood out at the time.

Another weakness is consistency (spoiler paragraph), why is one alien man broken out of a rock looking egg when the other isn't? why did the protagonist find a skeleton of a woman who was not dead? most of the inconsistencies come from the whole 'monster/human hybrid' story, which to be honest I'm not convinced it was all that necessary, however that's probably just me being a tad confused as to how it all worked.

As for what the film did right, it had a pretty stunning location for most of the film, near the start of the film I remember looking at the sky behind the character and liking what I saw. It was usually a very pretty film to look at. Also the scene at the start was quite intense and did get me interested.

Not a great film but if you look at the IMDb page of this films director Jesse O'Brien this seems to be the first feature length film he has ever directed. While I wouldn't necessarily be anticipating a continuation on THIS story I would like to follow Jesse to see what else he comes up with next.

Inspired by Moon & District 9

[jjpete70 · 4/10 · 6 February 2018]

But none of the brains of either. There were certainly moments where things teased deeper elements, motivations, but then were fumbled and dropped. The story: A resistance fighter is freed from prison with his old commander and given a final job, with the reward being the rescue of his father from execution. The job goes wrong and the fighter is stranded on a desert moon. But there's something out there, there's something wrong with the environment. Our protagonist starts to experience the effects of his new surroundings as he works to save himself. He finds other crew members of the crashed ship, but their motivations are not fully explored or explained. One has a relationship with our protagonist, but is only explored for about 20 seconds of dialogue. Elements of time displacement and body displacement are introduced. A computer moves the plot and our protagonist along through the story. Hints are dropped to keep things mysterious, but the story twists are a stretch or too convenient. The actors perform well with what they're given, but it's very little. Especially true of General Hatch. There are plenty of quality seeds in the story but they never really grow into anything. It's a quality production for the limited budget, but the screenplay could've used a couple more drafts to tighten it up and strengthen the characters. Conclusion: The plate looks delicious coming out of the kitchen, but ultimately the taste is pretty bland.

Not better than Interstellar!

[roadkillrobert · 3/10 · 15 February 2016]

Pretty terrible low budget sci-fi movie - whomever wrote better than Interstellar obviously makes money from you watching this movies - go watch Interstellar twice instead of watching this movie, the only comparison I can make of this movie to Interstellar is that it is unwatchable compared to Interstellar.

Effects - Terrible. Acting - Mediocre. Storyline - Poor.

There are a lot of choices out there, most are better!

Please don't ever compare this to Interstellar!

This movie contains no unique ideas, some very low budget special effects, maybe 2 actors that can act, the rest are really low quality, so many holes in the story it is ridiculous! I made it through the whole movie just to wish I had turned it off after 10 minutes!

pretty decent low budget scifi

[digdog-785-717538 · 7/10 · 1 February 2016]

Arrowhead is a low budget film and you will be reminded of that in more than one occasion; but it's refreshing to see a budding filmmaker use proper filmmaking techniques to entertain you, rather than throwing money at the screen and hoping it works.

The story is of a confused convict, trust into a situation where he is in over his head, who winds up stranded on an alien planet and infected with a weird virus. Then, a series of weird occurrences start to set in - most lifted from other films, but fused together enough to become something new. It's got a bit of Riddick, a bit of Moon, a touch of Alien, some Robinson Crusoe, and while it's not great, it's certainly watchable, more so if you yourself are interested in filmmaking .. on a budget.

No, it's not better than Interstellar, but it's also much less pretentious.

My vote : 7/10 for the effort.

Hang in there is gets better??

[concours-13531 · 1/10 · 14 November 2017]

That reviewer must have been smoking some great stuff if they really believe that.

Does it get better halfway through? Compared to a complete rotten movie at the start yeah it gets better then completely rotten but not that dramatic.

Don't waste your time. Thank God for Netflix streaming since it's relatively free when you look at it. Look elsewhere for a sci-fi movie for your entertainment unless you enjoy torture.

Hang in there! it gets better! PROMISE!

[simonhayter · 8/10 · 2 February 2016]

I would say that when it comes to judging good science fiction movies I have a good sense of sniffing out the good from the bad, normally I can tell within just few minutes if the movie holds any promise, but this movie is somewhat very strange… it starts of very weak even through a big chunk of the budget was spent in the first 20minutes of the movie, I found myself compelled to continue watching even when it didn't hold much appeal! I'm glad I waited, the story picked up and the acting is 10x better in the second half of the movie than it was at the start, its rare to see a movie that goes from so bad to so good, and I have to take my hat off to the entire crew for pulling of a superb low-budget sci-fi.

Could have been better.

[bornskeptic · 6/10 · 19 January 2018]

I loved how it started. I was pretty pumped as the initial setup promised something epic. Then, honestly, i don't know what the hell happened. The entire storyline flew off the rails as soon as the protagonist was on the Arrowhead. And it just got worse from there. I would start to grasp what i thought was some coherence. Then, poof, gone. The acting was decent, the efx were quite good for its budget, the setting very cool. But the story, especially considering the promise, was a huge let down. Not to say that some of the ideas weren't good. The Raaf 'character' was interesting, if inconsistent in his programming...the whole 'time dilation' thing wasn't completely original but i still liked it...the symbiosis between the people and creatures was also kinda neat. But that last part, like a lot of the rest of the movie, was never fully explained. It was just kind of used when it was convenient to the plot. But worst of all even though there was enough ideas (again, some of them good) in this for 5 movies, this thing actually got boring. How is that possible? It was 10-15 minutes too long in the last third. So i usually ask myself to rate a movie based on if i would watch it again. Some movies that leave me confused or like i missed something make me want to see them again to see if i could fill in some of the blanks. This isn't one of them.

Stay away

[kevinmcmacn · 1/10 · 14 December 2018]

This movie was incomprehensible. It was parts borrowed from 8-10 sci fi thriller movies. Do not waste your time.

Sorry But No

[ukulele33 · 1/10 · 27 September 2017]

I'm really open to anything. I like the bad with the good, but WOW. It feels like i'm watching a movie done by a high schooler with money... Wait i take that back, i've seen better films by High schoolers. What really erks me is just the lack of care. Everything about this movie is to show off with effects and has no reason for being there. Doesn't add to plot or.. well anything.

If you can make it past 10 minutes, awesome, you will probably like it. If not just turn it off, it gets much worse.

Surely be the worst movie I have ever watched

[leuk0606 · 1/10 · 10 April 2021]

Undoubtedly nobody with rational mind would put this garbage on screen. Lousy plots together with poor actings make this film unwatchable at all. Please ignore those cheating positive reviews as it is absolutely nonsense to give any passing marks to this terrible movie.

Big waste of movie role.

[tgioinm · 2/10 · 15 November 2017]

O boy, o boy, what a waste of time. When I read a review on IMDb and when I read the story summary I was quite happy and I really expected a good movie but this is totally crap. The act is mediocre, you can even say it's bad. The story is full of holes like Swiss cheese, the place of recording is indeed a disastrous choice.

I really want to say something good about this movie but I can not find anything good. Very bad movie and I'm sorry about the time spent. I have the feeling that the idea could be much better used and that's the only thing I like about this movie, the idea. I'm really sorry that this was badly recorded because if the idea was only a little better elaborated and the action was a little more dynamic this could have been a really good movie. I'm suggesting to bypass this movie.

OMG Could this have sucked anymore than this...no...I don't think so

[stanpriest · 1/10 · 4 August 2017]

Just awful, so bad I feel ashamed to admit I saw this. P-U this stunk really bad. I feel like somebody owes me a refund for the time wasted on this. Look I like B movies sometimes when they are kinda good. Sc- Fi...Love it when it doesn't suck. This was so bad it really just is unwatchable. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time.

Ed Wood Would be Proud!

[E_Buzz_Miller · 2/10 · 30 November 2017]

Someone should have put out some moth balls because the script had way too many holes in it. Also, appears they were going for the record for goofs listed for one movie on IMDb. As for characters, what does it say when Reef the computer is the best by far. I get the time part of the story. I did not understand the moon and/or creature(s) story line regarding the reanimating, cloning or maybe just pooping out the dead. I just wanted him to stay dead so the movie would end. An extra star for doing well with a budget of under a million dollars. However, they're gonna need another million because I will need to be paid that to watch this movie again.

Australian Low Budget Sci-Fi that is both original and compelling

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 7/10 · 22 March 2016]

The synopsis here is that Kye Cortland (Dan Mor) is escaped from a planetary prison by some guerrilla types who are the enemy of the Empire and sent on a mission on a ship called 'Arrowhead' as he has the technical skills to fly it. The mission goes a tad wrong and he gets shipwrecked on a deserted moon.

There is a tradition that certain prisoners are executed on a particular day each year and Kye finds out his father is next. All he wants to do is get to him before that happens and these outlaws are his only chance. The problem is he is not alone on this moon and what he meets will change him forever.

Now this is low budget but that made me like it even more. They have gone back to basics and used bits of old vacuum cleaners and typewriters to make some of the props – even dustbin lids are employed. The acting is all excellent. Dan Mor is particularly good, but I have to say hats off to Christopher Kirby who starred in the brilliant 'Iron Sky'. He only has a small role but absolutely nails it and then some. The on board computer is brilliant too and will remind certain people of 'Dark Star' or even 'Red Dwarf'. The story itself is refreshingly original and it manages to keep the tension going right the way to the final frame. The CGI varies from rather good to above average but I am more than happy to live with that when the over all package is actually engagingly good.

Worst movie ever

[injun-83620 · 1/10 · 30 January 2019]

This is the worst movie i have ever watched. Please do not believe the reviews that say to be patient and that it gets better. It doesn't. It is horrible and does not make sense.

Brilliant storytelling

[JohnDishwasher · 8/10 · 30 December 2019]

This film kept me interested all the way through by not spoon-feeding me the plot. I didn't know what was going on and it wasn't irritating me with bad performances or dialogue and so I just kept and kept and kept watching. Almost a minimalist script for long stretches with honestly no bad lines in it all the way through. One of those totally random clicks on youtube that paid off big time. This was much more European and artistic in its framing than what comes out of Hollywood. Almost an art film ... almost. Highest compliments. I loved it for the reason some hate it -- It is unconventional. I have noted the name of the writer-director and will be following his career from now on. Very refreshing.

Low budget sci-fi that turned out to be surprisingly good!

[phenomae · 7/10 · 27 July 2017]

This movie was a pleasant surprise. At first it seemed a bit slow and boring, but after a while I was dying to know what was happening to the main character. I would recommend this movie to everyone that can appreciate a decent sci-fi movie without getting bothered too much by the plot holes in the science and the poor special effects. The story is actually pretty interesting if you can sit through the boring part. I'm hoping for both a sequel and a prequel that are better funded.

Story: good

Immersion: good

Acting: decent

Special effects: poor

Absolute waste of time

[msfightera · 1/10 · 3 February 2019]

I've seen some really good low budget films and this isn't one of them. Didn't explain much, couldn't decide a theme, involved to much info that didn't matter, plot was all over the place, plot holes everywhere, and tried to show off graphics but really didn't. This show had probably one good scene that was five seconds at the last two mins of the movie.

Low Budget but looks good

[nashw82 · 5/10 · 17 February 2021]

This is a low budget Sci fi but the use of a good setting manages to make it look good. They try to do something different with their low budget by using a smart story which builds some mystery and leads to a twist. The twist however is both predictable yet still confusing and a little convoluted. The dilation or repetition of time seems to play a role and evolution plays into things too. If you really love sci fi then maybe check it out but keep expectations low.

There's a Reason Kye Appears to be in a Perpetual State of Confusion!

[spookyrat1 · 3/10 · 15 November 2022]

He has suddenly understood the full extent of the crazy storyline of the movie of which he is the protagonist. It's great to be ambitious. But writer/director/producer Jesse O'Brian just isn't realistic in attempting to fuse enough ideas for 5 movies, into his 95 minute film Arrowhead. Ironically the first 10 - 15 minutes is both intriguing and compelling and the best part of the movie. Convict/prisoner of war Kye (I'm still unsure) is responsible for busting both himself and a war leader named Hatch out of a prison quarry. Hatch promptly displays his thanks by immediately sending the reluctant Kye off on another mission, supposedly the success of which, will lead to the release of Kye's father from another prison. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. It already sounds complicated. That's not the half of it.

Arrowhead kind of resembles a C - grade version of Pitch Black, likely because both were filmed in the same outback area of Australia. But then O'Brian decides to throw in extra ideas from other SF classics such as Solaris, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, The Edge of Tomorrow and Interstellar to the point, where the story ceases to flow and instead just continually spins its wheels and just goes nowhere.

Not helping proceedings in the least, is that the acting isn't particularly strong and the production's limited budget is pretty obvious, from the cheap - looking props and special effects, to the same sort of landscape from the opening prison prologue to the main setting on a supposedly "distant moon". You just want to shake your head when a pair of blokes are running around this moon for half the movie wearing nothing but jeans, whilst other characters are wrapped up in spacesuits and everyone carries on as if every thing is perfectly normal. Critical, need-to-know information is presented too late in the script to maximize understanding.

Arrowhead's slow pace, dullish cinematography and vague narrative means much is lost on the viewer. It becomes hard to feel one thing or another for the different characters and therefore the result doesn't have the impact that I suspect the film is looking for. With more action and conviction from the plot and better acting, I feel this may have been a more gripping film.