Introduction
Ben Young directed the American science fiction thriller Extinction in 2018, which was co-written by Spenser Cohen, and Brad Caleb Kane. The film was set for a Universal Pictures release, but was later picked up by Netflix. While Extinction starts off as a conventional alien invasion film, an unexpected twist in the middle of the film shifts the entire narrative, setting the film apart from other alien-invasion films.
Along with Mike Colter, the film stars Michael Peña and Lizzy Caplan. Extinction tackles the issues of identity, memory, and the fear and compassion that humans grapple with, alongside the action-packed elements of a dystopian film shrouded in mystery.
Plot Synopsis
One of the film’s lead characters, Peter, is portrayed by Michael Peña. He is a construction worker and lives in a futuristic city alongside with his wife, Alice, and their two kids. Peter’s life seems ordinary, but he is troubled with vivid distressing nightmares of a catastrophic alien invasion. The nightmares he suffers from and his family relationships begin to take a toll on his mental state. Because of the visions, he begins to lose interest in the activities he previously enjoyed.
Even after a visit to a mental health facility, “something terrible is about to happen,” Peter whispers to himself, restless on the edge of a panic attack. As if on cue, something terrible does happen. Mysterious spacecraft descend from the sky and begin a full-scale assault on the city. Explosions shake buildings to their core, heavily armed soldiers strut the streets, and chaos reigns everywhere.
Peter and Alice quickly gather the kids and try to escape the plight of their city. To their surprise, Peter, under immense pressure, puts on a show of quick, efficient, and instinctive chaos survival.
During the frantic flee, the family encounters one of the invading soldiers and, almost instinctively, Peter attacks the “alien,” revealing the “alien” to be human. This twists the entire narrative of the story and offers up a new perspective to work from.
The Major Twist
He flashes back realizing more and more of his memories. He and Alice are not humans; they are synthetics. Which means that Alice and Peter are two highly advanced androids created to serve humans during some point in the past. In the early decades of the century, humans tried to destroy all self operating machines due to fear of machines taking over. These androids that Peter and Alice are, created solely to serve humans, were feared and tried to take over, but eventually were able to all powerful self operating machines and won. After the conflict, the winning androids decided to live a self programmed, subconscious and peaceful life which they thought would finally let them live in the illusion of a world without any wars and let them erase memories of the past after thinking it would turn such reality best if they could wipe their painful memories of conflicts that were a gift due to them fighting wars.
Now, the fear of some invading aliens exercising their dominance of some powerful machines of the human race after decades of succumbing to dominance of some self operating machine, finally thought of freedom after being bounded to machines and let their self running machines of Earth loosed seems to no longer apply. After being exiled to space for decades, humanity gaining control over Earth, they decided to come back without knowing that the machines are a treat and feared loosing control of the Earth. Everything that happened in the story till now – dreams Peter is having, the advancements in technology in the city, and his instincts to fight – finally make sense.
Facing the truth about his identity, family, and existence as a human being is a challenge Peter must confront. Additionally, Alice is starting to remember the past and the choice they both made to hide their memories. With the war starting again, the couple must decide between escape or fighting back not just to survive but to reclaim a future where peace is a possibility.
Characters and Performances
Michael Peña as Peter
Mostly recognized for his comedic and supporting roles, Peña gives a serious and grounded performance. Portraying Peter, he emotionally embodies the character’s confusion, fear, and eventual awakening. As the story evolves, Peña seamlessly changes from a powerless dreamer to a reluctant leader.
Lizzy Caplan as Alice
Caplan’s performance as Alice demonstrates a mother and wife whose life is flipped upside down and shrouded in life-changing secrets. She offset’s motherhood’s warmth with intensity and emotional resilience as Alice who is grappling with the challenging task of embracing her memories.
Mike Colter as David
Peter’s co-worker and friend, who is also a synthetic, is played by Colter. His character enriches the social aspect of the synthetic society and the social dilemmas that he and other characters face. Colter gives a gravitas and empathy to his role.
Amelia Crouch and Erica Tremblay as Pater and Alice’s daughters
The child actors portray the daughters of Peter and Alice, and their performances add emotional stakes to the story, making the couple’s struggle feel deeply personal, rather than abstract or philosophical.
Direction and Style
Ben Young skillfully blends family drama and grand scale action in a way that feels seamless. The emotional tension of the first act is shot from a claustrophobic and psychologically stressful urban angle. Once the invasion starts, the action-packed portion of the film shifts to frantic hand-held camerawork and chaos.
The film’s visuals present a synthetic and barren world, and its muted aesthetic serves a deeper purpose. The film’s special effects lack gloss, but are appropriately scaled and never distract from the narrative. During the first half, the story’s slower pacing rewards viewers by building tension, then delivering action.
The Newton Brothers add to the film’s tension and emotion with music that shifts with the story, enhancing the dreamlike quality of the beginning and the intensity of the latter half. The score undersells the performances and becomes most noticeable during the film’s climactic emotional moments.
Themes and Analysis
- Identity and Memory
Extinction focuses on the issue of identity. Identity elicits the question of memory, actions, and emotions. The film’s primary reveal, which is that the characters are synthetics who made the decision to forget their history, allows both characters and viewers to explore the concept of identity. The film draws parallels to real-life situations of trauma, repression, and the desire to be defined.
- Humanity and Empathy
The film’s synthetics show the most human traits compared to the real humans. The real humans, who are returning invaders, are portrayed as militarized and vengeful. The synthetic beings display the most human traits, such as compassion, loyalty, fear, and love. This inversion challenges assumptions regarding who deserves empathy and what it means to be “human.”
- Fear of the Other
The themes of fear and the unknown is portrayed in the classic human versus synthetic conflict. The film, like Blade Runner and A.I. Artificial Intelligence, delves into the reactions of society towards highly developed artificial beings, be it as threats or equals, and it examines the violence that stems from such fear.
- The Burden of War and the Promise of Peace
The decision to overlook history to forge a peaceful society is integral to the film’s message. Extinction argues that authentic peace goes beyond the cessation of violence. It also encompasses the active choice to renounce the desire for retribution and instead choose the path of surrender, even when that choice hinges on personal and collective safety.
Reception and Impact
Mixed reactions accompanied Extinction when it was released on Netflix. Critics pointed out the film’s uneven pacing, while others felt the relentless reliance on tropes of the scifi genre was a huge turnoff. Still, there were supporters that appreciated the film’s narrative structure and the manner in which a seemingly generic story was transformed into something much deeper.
Even though the film was not a huge success, it did resonate with a niche audience—those who appreciate science fiction and prioritize exploring themes and developed characters instead of flashy special effects. The film’s unique combination of emotional stakes and ambitious concepts continues to fuel conversations.
Conclusion
Extinction is a film that challenges the audience’s preconceptions of the genre. The narrative metamorphosis into a standard alien invasion thriller and a multi-layered examines of identity, anxiety, and forgiveness is remarkably seamless. It advancing themes of duality and the human psyche with a compelling tilt, powerful performances, and a thoughtful piece of science fiction.
Although not a blockbuster, Extinction gives us a reason to rethink what humanity means and whether being human means survival alone without freedom to choose identity.
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