Alien Psychosis is a 2018 sci-fi horror film about a war veteran suffering from PTSD who sees killers, extraterrestrials, and other strange beings in his house at night, not sure whether it is real or if it is just in his mind.
Say what you want, but if you name your film Alien Psychosis, there’s a probability of … I’ll just say … one hundred percent that whatever the story is about, it better be some trippy alien madness. The potential coiled and ready to spring from such a combination of words is, well, pretty explosive. That said though, I guess it’s not all that unexpected to find Jason Mills‘ new indie movie Alien Psychosis not quite where I thought it was headed, a story that, when it’s all said and done is a bit mislabeled, a small, underwhelming thriller that spends more time with the second word than the first, even if there are a few solid ideas in the mix.
It begins with a chilling moment of ambiguous terror before centering on a man named Ryan O’Neil (Steve Baran), just back from combat with a shoulder injury. Meeting him at his house are his very pregnant wife Stephanie (Lee Tomaschefski) and her brother Tony (Jackson Berlin), who is right from the get go, obviously not so keen on his brother-in-law. From there, the young couple try to get back into the norms of their lives, though Ryan slowly begins to feel a little unnerved by repeated oddities about the house, such as weird noises and what seems like shadows lurking around the property at night. Is it all real or something far more sinister?
Low budget sci-fi films almost always get crushed under the weight of ambition, unable to get on screen the scale and legitimacy of their stories with much that feels legit. At least Mills decides to keep it local and for the most part more about the characters than big effects his production can’t afford. At just over an hour long, he also, thankfully, keeps things relatively trim. Much of the story settles on the marriage, with Stephanie trying to cope with a husband who isn’t quite himself anymore and hiding the fact that he is re-upping for another tour. Then there’s Tony, who makes things even more uncomfortable, his bitterness at Ryan never quite as meaty as to really matter, the forced conflict never entirely convincing.
Where Mills’ finds his footing is when he keeps everyone quiet and works on building suspense, with a couple of rock solid moments that genuinely offer up a few chills. Is O’Neil really hallucinating or are their actually little green men hiding in the shadows? or worse? Mills uses these moments to good effects and adds some much needed punch. However, as the rest of the movie tonally waivers, it’s a little difficult to let their impact work as well as they should, especially as the story switches gears and becomes more of a home invasion flick than a visitors from outer space jam.
I always grant a little leeway when it comes to independent filmmakers, most trying to tell their stories with significant limitations. Alien Psychosis is no different, though it has a few other hurdles that keep it shy of its potential, including some uninspired performances and gaps in the momentum. A curious misfire, this may appeal to fans of micro-budget horror, and if anything, shows promise of what Mills might be able to do with a little more money to work with.