Coming off of major movies, Crazy Rich Asians and Hustlers, Constance Wu returns in a leading role in The Outer Threat. Toronto, Canada-based producer/writer William Woods makes his directorial debut with this Canadian film. Woods also wrote the screenplay for this movie. After an astrophysicist makes a shocking discovery, he and his family are chased through the countryside by an anonymous pursuer. Once armed with the reality of what’s going on, the family is forced to make a decision that will alter the future of humanity.
Seeing this low-budget, indie sci-fi thriller utilize as much as it can for an out-of-this-world story was a breath of fresh air from all the big blockbuster productions—especially coming off a similar concept as Disclosure Day. In a time when conspiracy theories continue to rise, this film took the number one conspiracy theory about aliens and went one step further. The examination worked well for the most part, having a straightforward solution to the main family’s problem.
The Outer Threat was shot in North Bay and Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, and the rural locations helped sell this world of an apocalyptic event in the countryside. I felt like the shots of Constance Wu and Callista Crowe were beautifully shot in the forest area. The telescope and bunker area, where Mark O’Brien’s character spent most of his time, grounded one of the main story settings. As the real-life wildfires rage in this part of Ontario, this film truly captured the beauty of Northern Ontario. I would have liked to see more b-roll of the landscapes to set a more eerie tone.
One of the strongest points of The Outer Threat was its dialogue. The standout performance from William Fichtner in this movie could be in his lineup of best antagonist/villain roles. While he was barely in the film, his performance was memorable to fit the tone of the darkness in this film. It was a bit like Jesse Plemons’ small part in Civil War. These examples show how a single set piece in a movie could shine through the rest of the movie.
“The Outer Threat was shot in North Bay and Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, and the rural locations helped sell this world of an apocalyptic event in the countryside.”
On a more general note of the dialogue, I enjoyed the family dynamics and chemistry between Wu, O’Brien, Crowe, and Isaac Smelcer-Zhang. I am always a stickler for cringeworthy family comedy and dialogue, but I did not find this to be the case in this film. The female figures in the family being more fighters and pragmatic ones was a nice touch to break traditional gender norms. I thoroughly enjoyed it when the parents said, “Good shot, sweetie,” to the youngest and smallest family member—as they shot a rifle from the back of a pickup truck.
Wu and O’Brien felt as believable a couple as one you would find in a typical family movie, and I appreciated the theme of rekindling love through the apocalypse—almost giving A Quiet Place vibes. But I particularly liked how they were lax parents when the kids would have their own independent ideas, versus stereotypically being upset with them. It seems off-putting to the general audience, but I am glad when kids are treated as adults or at least given more responsibility and leniency.
The needle drops throughout the film were few, but purposeful—adding in some fitting notes for what was happening in the story. And yet, the score was almost as boring as hearing someone play the same three notes on a piano. There were a couple of unnecessary jump scares too, which did not get me in the slightest because you can see them from a kilometre away.
As for the VFX, I have not seen this many drones doing what they do. The Outer Threat is filled with drones, and did what they could with an evident budget constraint. The costuming and clothing design were a little thoughtful, having the females have many pockets for ammo and ready for combat—whereas the male family members wore plaid shirts that made them a little geeky but played into them being the book-smart ones.
The missteps of The Outer Threat were lacking in creating a compelling and entertaining film for the genre. Yes, there were moments where I was puzzled to see what was attacking the family and if they would show the aliens. The grounded character moments and dealing with a fractured couple made for a great jumping point of drama within this apocalyptic world. However, there were no new debates on humanity or surprising outcomes for the main characters. Essentially, the narrative was as linear as they come.
For those looking for a more indie-style Disclosure Day, they will find something worthwhile in The Outer Threat.
