177
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #195,270 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★☆
A personal favorite in the "how very odd" category
What a strange, strange film this is. One could almost consider this a low-budget, early companion piece to CONTACT...both are first-contact stories, and both have their own political agenda (different though they are). I can't effectively review this without giving away plot elements, so this will have to suffice:
A scientist receives a message perceived to have come from Mars. As if that's not enough to throw the whole world into controlled chaos, the messages later purport to come from the supreme being itself, touching off unprecedented religious fervor among Earth's inhabitants.
A film of reactions and reactionaries, of religion and politics and studies on mob mentality, all rolled into one slightly cheesy fifties sci-fi thriller. It may not be *good*, but it's FASCINATING. For what ultimately is a fairly simple plot, the storyline has enough twists and turns to be a river in Colorado. Its sheer audacity at times is jaw-dropping...slot this one in with a few other B movies and it stands out as being far more ambitious than most. I recommend a viewing.
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