The Invasion

The fourth big-screen adaptation of Jack Finney’s seminal sci-fi novel, The Invasion casts Nicole Kidman as Carol Bennell – a Washington psychiatrist who comes to the creeping realization that something’s not quite right with several people in her life. The most noticeable difference between this version of Finney’s story and its predecessors (as well as the novel) is the complete absence of the alien duplicates that inevitably take over the lives of their doppelgangers, with the spread of the otherworldly menace instead perpetuated by a virus that one must consume via saliva. It’s an intriguing change that actually works a whole lot better than one might’ve initially suspected, as there’s subsequently an added element of suspense within the film’s second half stemming from Carol’s life-or-death fight to stay awake (the virus can only take hold once its victim has fallen asleep). The incredibly erratic structure – undoubtedly a result of the notorious reshoots – ultimately dulls the impact of the movie’s overtly effective attributes, however, and one can’t help but goggle at the pronounced (and entirely needless) emphasis on action set-pieces within the increasingly frenetic third act. And although it’d be nice to someday see what director Oliver Hirschbiegel’s original vision looked like, The Invasion nevertheless remains an awfully effective piece of work that boasts a number of unexpectedly tense interludes (ie Carol and her son engage in an emotionless staring contest out of fear that the other has been infected).

**1/2 out of ****