Invasion! 2002 Horror Movie Review

I am not entirely sure where and when I first saw this movie; I think it may have been on cable some night a while back.  For reasons I am also not completely sure of, I decided to watch it.  It doesn’t always yield an enjoyable experience, but in this instance it paid off.  The humor is a curiously effective combination of goofiness, dry wit, and deranged bizarreness.  The cast is largely unknown, except for the two Scotts (Campbell and Tom Everett), and although the supporting cast won’t go down in history as legends in the acting field (they may in fact remain largely obscure), they pulled off a daffy mix of dark humor, zany performances, and silly (though at times gruesome) horror with impressive results.


The story takes place in a sleepy town (actually part of the six-town region, whose names range from the bizarre to the hilarious) full of simple-minded eccentrics (where all the men have female-sounding names, for whatever that is supposed to mean).  A visit from a renowned yet humorously ineffectual acclaimed scientist (played by Campbell Scott) coincides with a rash of grisly killings, followed by arrivals of more unusual strangers.  With the help of the vaunted yet clueless scientist, the townspeople try to solve the deadly mystery and stop the slaughter.  Although this doesn’t sound funny, the film’s unconventional and execution makes for a laugh-out-loud comedy.  Though there are many funny elements and parts to the movie, you cannot afford to miss the dinner prayer-song by Fiona Leowi’s character. 


Truth be told, this film may not be everyone’s cup of tea.  I suspect some may not like it.  As for me, this film hit my humor buttons (particularly the adsurb and bizarre humor ones anyways).


All in all, a rare find (literally, it’s a difficult film to come by) as both an overlooked dark comedy and a brilliant Canadian film.