From the Production team of the cult hit, “Bus Party to Hell,” comes a new alien invasion film. What at first appears as a low budget version of “Battle: Los Angeles,” turns out to be a fun thrill ride littered with several film veterans such as Richard Grieco, Robert LaSardo, and a cameo from Mahal Empire Productions staple Tara Reid.
After a long period of undercover work comes to a head, a tight knit SWAT team finally apprehends cartel boss Hades (Robert LaSardo) and is quickly assigned to move him to a secure police stronghold. During the transfer unexpected guest from the skies descend upon planet earth ready to drain some very natural resources. SWAT member Vern, (Richard Grieco) leads the group while fighting off the depression of an impending divorce, loss of a fellow cop, and a dooming medical prognosis. After an initial close encounter the team secure Hades and try to wrap their heads around the new otherworldly threat. Pinned in by aliens, surrounded by hardened criminals, and cut off from the outside world, both heroes and villains must unite to try and escape a world under attack.
“Attack of the Unknown” at first glance appears to be just a run of the mill film one would pick up when getting a free rental at Redbox, but director Brandon Slagle and some genre veterans turn in an entertaining original piece. LaSardo, who plays villains as good as anyone, stands out with a physically and emotionally charged performance and Grieco brings his wealth of experience portraying Vern with strength and empathy. Reid has a brief but important cameo giving some essential backstory to the plot. Two things set this film apart from lower budget alien films. One, a very original concept explanation on why these beings have arrived. Even blockbuster space creature films far too often do not even give the slightest hint to why the planet has unexpected house guest. For horror lovers the other great feature from this film is the alien design. While big budget films such as “Battleship” and “A Quiet Place” throw out less than par creatures, the team behind “Attack of the Unknown” present a simple yet daunting outer space monster. The design is more horror than sci-fi and should make for a nice future collectible for fans.
Full of action, deep sub-plots, and strong performances, the film is not without some flaws. A run time of one hour forty-five minutes lags at times. Cutting fifteen minutes and perhaps a minor role or two would have greatly benefited the final product. The opening sequence gives depth to the film but drags on a bit too long and our first glimpse of the aliens are underwhelming though worth the wait once they remove their helmets. Mahal is quickly becoming a major player in the horror world and “Attack of the Unknown” is another fun, quick paced, quick witted thrill ride. Operating on one, one millionth of the budget of the Jodi Foster debacle “Contact,” “Attack of the Unknown” actually has a plot, action, and most important, Aliens!
Scream Score: 7.2/10