While big studio sci-fi films seemingly struggle while trying to manage too many expectations, obligations and money, the indie sector of the same genre is definitely on the rise.
The Becomers, the latest outing from Zach Clark, the director known for Modern Love Is Automatic (2009), White Reindeer (2013) and Little Sister (2016), which premiered at last year’s Fantasia Film Festival, is another example of a modest budget turned into creative fun.
An alien from a distant dying planet lands in the middle of Illinois and body snatches their way through it in search of their lover who reached the Earth in a different pod. The first body, the one of an unlucky hunter, doesn’t last long before our protagonist bumps into a woman (Isabel Alamin) who is – also quite unfortunately – giving birth in her car in the middle of a rural road.
In that new form, the alien arrives at a Motel 6 where they do some online shopping for special lenses to conceal their laser beaming eyes, study the ways of this world by watching television and try to elude the obtrusive attention of the manager (Frank V. Ross).
Soon, the alien is once again forced to obtain another vessel, a suburban housewife (Molly Plunk) who makes the mistake of giving them a ride. After the alien is reunited with their lost lover who returns in the form of a bus driver (Jacquelyn Haas), it seems like the things are looking up for our heroes, but there is one noticeable problem. Life on Earth is exceedingly messed up; it’s just that we, as the permanent residents, tend not to notice it as much.
It takes just a slight change of perspective by Clark in The Becomers to really emphasize the inherent weirdness of the world in our times. Therefore, there are a whole bunch of ideas within the film, including a social and political commentary, and an allegory of the immigration processes and the struggles the immigrants go through in an effort to integrate into their new life. And all the while, the film is also a take on the complexity of interpersonal relations.
The more bodies and plot points that are introduced, the more it might seem like the film loses its focus a bit. There is some truth to this, but Clark’s previous filmography, filled with dramedies, showcases that he’s just not interested in making statements. The profound weirdness and absurdity of the ways of our everyday life is the standard basis for his style and the main focus of his interest.
At the same time, the authors don't really feel the need to indulge in a fully batshit insanity. The premise and the liberty with which Clark, who is also the writer and editor here, switches between undertones and various kinds of humor is honestly enough.
The Becomers starts as a sort of a melancholic, star-gazing sci-fi but involving some impressive body horror elements that can invoke flashbacks to Cronenberg’s filmography (eXistenZ in particular comes to mind). Then it mixes suspense with an outright black comedy, and by the end fully unleashes an extraterristrial melodrama that even features a montage sequence with an alien desperate for a (not so human) connection.
This unevenness and jagged storytelling might prove to be a turn off for some viewers, but can also be a source of great fun with a few twists prepared for the lovers of alien invasion films and the Sparks band.
The film is now available on a variety of Video On Demand platforms.