Infestation (2009)
Starring Chris Marquette, Brooke Nevin &
Kinsey Packard
Directed & Written by Kyle Rankin

 

Now, at first glance this film may look like B-movie God-Awfulness, filled with cheesy effects and terrible overacting, but I will say it’s far from it. Lead by Chris Marquette and Brooke Nevin, playing survivors Cooper and Sara respectively, the acting is what saves this from being laughable, and not in a good way. What was good however was the movie itself. Granted it had its flaws, as most TV sci-fi flicks do, but at the end of the day it’s worth the watch.

Some confusion as the film progresses definitely occurs. In the beginning, the survivors have been cocooned for several days, if not over a week, and yet the insects, both the crawling ones and the flying ones, are just now getting around to gathering them up for consumption by their 'Queen.' The blonde bombshell Cindy, played by Kinsey Packard, seems as though she may somehow be a part of the whole infestation but at the same time she's trying to sleep with Cooper – there is a great nude scene where she attempts to do this but Cooper stupidly declines. Then Cindy’s jealousy almost kills the group but her motivations are not made clear after her demise.

Then there is the concept of what happens to the people who are stung by the insects. Once they are stung it takes a day or so for them to turn into 'hybrids.' This is basically the victim turning into a spider-like creature that still maintains their upper torso and their face, which blisters and bleeds like something from a zombie flick. The gaffe that occurs with this is the rate at which the infected person turns. For one it can be a day, another two days, and in the end, Cooper’s father, played hysterically by Ray Wise of 'Reaper' and 'Robocop,' it only takes a matter of hours.

In the end though, the film's savior is Marquette and his wit and ability to carry the movie along while still trying to hook up with Sara (the driving force for his new found bravery) and win his father’s acceptance is the real story of the film despite the insect takeover. Most 'apocalyptic' films have this as their driving theme, and 'Infestation' is no different, nor does it need to be. As long as the movie didn’t steer too far towards the cheese factory it was safe to have Cooper make you laugh while at the same time coming to grips with the fact he is a makeshift John Connor. For his flaws are what made him the hero he needed to be and what made the movie watchable.

Lets not forget Sara, the damsel in distress, either. Nevin’s character has some flaws of her own while also turning into the love interest. She is aggressive, intelligent and doesn’t put up with any shit. That is of course until the end when she is captured and taken to the 'hive,' then she needs Cooper and company to come rescue her. I am sure the filmmakers could have cast the movie better, but with what Nevin gave them, it was just enough to keep me at least semi-interested in whether or not I wanted her to die, despite knowing full well she wouldn’t. In the end, though, I am glad she hung in there otherwise it would have been completely pointless.

The very ending though was an interesting send-off for those involved. Cooper, Sara, and the deaf Hugo are shown as the final humans standing. Sara and Cooper talk about being an 'item' all the while awakening or attempting to awaken the rest of the world. Hugo suddenly points out something which Cooper and Sara react to, then BAM, a Sopranos-style ending leaving us to ponder what the hell they were looking at. More survivors? Maybe. More insects? Possibly. Nudists running at them for the sake of repopulating the world? Hopefully. But, unless there is a sequel in the works we will never know.