Rating: 2.5/5
Hooptober 4.0 | 19/31 | Carpenter
A whispering shadow lifts off of Midwich. Dr. Alan Chaffee wakes up to the whispering sound, but Barbara assures him it’s nothing. Alan leaves for out-of-town business.
The small town assembles for a school fair. Jill, the school principal, organizes the event. At 10 AM on the dot, the whole town passes out, including the animals. Frank, Jill’s husband, coming back from picking up helium, immediately faints when he enters the town limits. He crashes into a truck and dies in the explosion.
The police investigate, as well as Dr. Susan Verner, an epidemiologist for the National Science Foundation. They gather on the outskirts to determine what caused the mass blackout. One officer dons a gas mask. The other officers tie a rope around him. The moment he steps through the invisible barrier, he faints.
At 4 PM, everyone wakes up. Agents in hazmat suits walk the town, measuring for radiation or some indication of what happened. The town mourns those they lost in the incident.
If that weren’t enough, ten women in town discover they are pregnant. All of the pregnancies date from the blackout.
The film follows these pregnancies, births, and the strange events that follow.
This movie has a great first act — it’s not air-tight, but it’s an intriguing premise. Once we see the children “in action,” it takes a decidedly goofier direction. It has some standout moments after, but the plotting is tedious and the development is too sparse.
Christopher Reeve is perfect for this role. His charming earnestness is a reassuring guidepost when things get wacky. He has a couple of genuinely touching scenes.
Kirstie Alley is one of the most successful bad actors. She’s horrendous in this movie.
The acting in general in this movie is very “daytime soap,” but it’s not like this film demands nuanced performances.
I spent most of the movie asking, “… but why?” I wish I got a satisfactory answer.