My Review Of "Alien Outbreak"

"Alien Outbreak" is a indie sci-fi film directed by Neil Rowe. The film stars Katherine Drake, Ritchie Crane, Michael Terry, Philip Alexander Baker.

A small rural community is quarantined by an alien presence. Local police officers Zoe and Patrick battle through the night to take control as they become cut off from the outside world. Residents begin to behave strangely and mass panic spreads throughout. With the help of others, Zoe and Patrick begin unraveling the mystery and soon discover it is not all as it seems. Can they save their community before it’s too late?

The story is a blend of traditional alien sci-fi with elements of pandemic/ viral based horror. The writing follows typical roads of suspense, drama and major character development. The film moves slow with most of the story focusing on dialog and exposition. Still, it all does take place under a veil of tension for what appears as an alien encounter. 

The acting is elevated, often the cast create little moments that make you sense the tension in the scenes. However there are significant moments when the acting should have been greater in order to really convey the situation at hand. I mean, seeing a head blown open during a act of suicide should warrant more than a subdued gasp. 

Special effects are mixed. A lot of CGI, which is expected in sci-fi films, and low budget practical effects. The CGI is done with some care, reminiscent of series such as 'Falling Skies' and 'Haven'. The concept used to create the aliens and infected humans is creative and appealing. Overall "Alien Outback" is a neat indie alien watch. It will have an audience, but for action packed bangs and booms some fans will wanna skip it. (2.5/5)