Written and directed by William Woods, after making a ground-breaking extra-terrestrial discovery, astrophysicists Daniel and Michelle are forced to flee from home with their family — pursued through the countryside by a relentless and anonymous assailant. Starring: Constance Wu, Mark O’Brien, William Fichtner, Isaac Smelcer-Zhang, Callista Crowe, Oscar Hsu and Murray Furrow.
William Woods makes a key, and very interesting, choice with the style of The Outer Threat and that’s keeping it low-key. The way that Woods is able to bring through the tension, the paranoia, the conspiracy, the threat, and the feel of a potential disaster, while keeping the focus on the family is really well done. Many others would have tried for epic chase sequences, have their characters dodging bullets, and try to artificially ramp up the adrenaline, so to see instead the filmmakers keep a sense of intimacy, sets The Outer Threat apart.
Those choices also help it to flow smoothly, it brings that suspense and tension into the atmosphere but doesn’t overwhelm it. It keeps that threat just vague enough, to not have to spend a lot of time on convoluted details, which is another great choice. It’s shot well, it’s a rather familiar style, particularly of indie thrillers and sci-fi but it works. There are some great music choices that help bump up the personality. The cinematography (by Mike McLaughlin) is really solid work throughout, there’s a nice crispness to it, especially with a lot of outdoor scenes adding space and colour.
There’s then an excellent cast at work, Constance Wu and Mark O’Brien make for a very convincing married couple. They nicely capture the fractures in their relationship, as well as the deep bond beneath that, holding them together. They also both do a great job of making them feel genuinely intelligent and capable, rather than simply throwing in some scientific jargon. Isaac Smelcer-Zhang and Callista Crowe are a terrific addition as their children, they’re sweet and gifted, strong in the face of danger, much like their parents. William Fichtner will never not make for a good cameo, he can establish his presence and persona so quickly, and he does that again here. Oscar Hsu also adds a nicely emotional note into the mix.
The problem lies with the aspect of The Outer Threat which unfortunately is far too reminiscent of many a sci-fi flick which has come before it, and that’s an unsatisfying ending. It’s such a shame to see them not try to overcomplicate things and create a good, solid story, to only then undermine it entirely with an overtly simplistic ending. It makes the characters look genuinely dumb and attempts to wrap things up neatly and easily, which makes for frustrating viewing.
The Outer Threat had a lot of potential and makes some great choices, but it ultimately lets itself down. The direction is solid, it works well to add plenty of tension and suspense, there’s a lot of clever choices to keep things contained and understated, while still establishing the widespread consequences. The cast are all great, Constance Wu, Mark O’Brien, Isaac Smelcer-Zhang and Callista Crowe make for a convincing, captivating family. It’s well made and worth the watch, even with a disappointing resolution.
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