Margaret Reeb - Development Manager
Jason X (2001)
Look, this movie is trash, but it’s enjoyable trash. This installment of the Friday the 13th franchise takes the perennial villain Jason to space. After a scientist’s fumble near a cryogenic chamber, our blood-thirsty antagonist is frozen for 400 years and awakens in 2455 aboard a spaceship carrying a group of students on a field trip. (Are you already rolling your eyes at this outlandish set up? You should be.) Jason proceeds to do what he does best – terrorize the passengers and crew, finding ridiculous ways to murder and maim amorous students, the naïve robotic assistant, and the adults in charge. The result is laugh-out-loud funny more than frightening. There’s a level of goofiness and camp that some say is self-aware, though I’m not sure this is the case. Plenty of people rightfully hate this movie, but if a genre mashup between B-rated Sci Fi and old-school slasher sounds appealing, give Jason X a try.
Sputnik (2020)
I feel like I need to redeem myself after suggesting Jason X, so I’m offering up this art house, science fiction, Russian language film. The plot centers on Soviet cosmonaut Konstantin who nearly died on reentry to Earth and psychiatrist Dr. Tatyana Klimova who is brought in to assist his recovery. Only, there’s a twist. Konstantin brought something back from space with him—an alien is living inside his body, though the cosmonaut is unaware, and Taytana’s real objective is determining how to separate the parasite from the host. If she doesn’t, Konstantin will die. This film is tightly scripted, atmospheric, and twisted (if you enjoy body horror). The Soviet Cold War setting is unique and gives it a different feel than other movies that tread similar ground.
The Endless (2017)
The Endless follows the story of two brothers who were part of a UFO death cult as kids. They’ve escaped and are trying to integrate into society, but when they receive a video from the cult with an odd message, they decide to return for a visit. This sounds strange, but it’s clear that the brothers spent their formative years with the cult and miss many of the people. When they arrive, strange things start to happen. None of the cult members have aged. Three moons appear in the sky. And an entity begins dropping photos and videos to communicate with the brothers. But what is the entity and what does it want? Watch this trippy film and decide for yourself.
Pandorum (2009)
This movie begins with two astronauts waking up in a spaceship with no idea who they are, where they are, and what their mission is. The ship is clearly in disrepair. It’s dark. There are creepy noises. Hoses hang from the ceiling. And the rest of the crew has disappeared. This set up is great, and while the film is no Alien or Moon (other space thrillers you should check out), it’s a decent monster movie with an interesting twist. Paul W. S. Anderson directs and there are spiritual similarities with his Resident Evil franchise though Pandorum is certainly better.Read More Staff Picks:
