Low budget Australian sci-fi thriller Occupation follows a group of survivors from a small town who band together and put their differences aside in order to hold back an onslaught from alien invaders. Directed by Luke Sparke, this is a fun sci-fi indie romp that, although it’s slightly too long, provides buckets of entertainment.
The concept is nothing original, but what really stands out is the location where the film is set. In today’s sci-fi world, we are so used to seeing the alien target the bright lights and big cities of America that it’s refreshing to see people in a different corner of the globe get to test their weapons and skills against some extraterrestrial antagonists.
This band of survivors share some great chemistry, again better than what we’ve previously seen in a lot of other global alien invasion flicks. Sparke set out to create a fun, fresh and balls to the wall entertaining film, and he most certainly achieved that. As for our antagonists, led by Australian cult hero Bruce Spence (Mad Max), their design is honourable, with practical effects being chosen over CGI. This allows for various intense close up action scenes to feel raw and real, keeping the audience in the moment. Our villains also have a truly menacing feel to them due to the decision to keep things real.
As mentioned, one particular drawback with Occupation is that it feels painfully elongated in its storytelling. At two hours long, twenty minutes or so could have easily been removed in order to keep the film flowing at a much more manageable pace without overstaying its welcome.
Unfortunately there are no special features on the disc release of Occupation which is a mighty shame as one would’ve loved to have seen some behind the scenes footage. Nevertheless, Occupation is a great addition to the ever growing catalogue of alien invasion movies, and delivers a memorable alien species. Every single cast member looks like they are having a great time, which allows the audience to connect with them during the chaos that is ensuing on screen. We’re certainly excited see what Luke Sparke does next within the sci-fi genre.
OCCUPATION / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: LUKE SPARKE / STARRING: DAN EWING, TEMUERA MORRISON, STEPHANY JACOBSEN / RELEASE DATE: 21ST JANUARY
