MY CALL: Great characters and comedy writing, silly monsters and gore gags, weak horror action. Not surprising given this was Frankensteined together from a TV show. MORE MOVIES LIKE Snatchers: I’d recommend to unrelated shows—Sex Education (2019-2021) and Stan Against Evil (2016-2018).
Writers and directors Stephen Cedars and Benji Kleiman essentially cobbled together their first feature film from their television series of the same name. You could maybe tell that this was modified from TV material with a careful eye, but the editing transitions are seamless.
This movie makes light fun of teen gossip, mean girls, teen sex, and teen pregnancy. When there is a topic within reach for a cheeky or mildly gross joke, this movie takes it. I especially enjoyed the projectile vomit morning sickness, the ob/gyn bit leading up to the hilarious and gory birthing decapitation, and some of the most surprisingly endearing “butthole jokes” I’ve ever heard. Yes, I’m actively celebrating the butthole jokes. Take that as you will.
After a sex-obsessed teen loses her virginity and swiftly gives birth to a vicious alien arthropod, Sara’s (Mary Nepi) offspring takes control of a nurse and puppeteers her a la The Puppet Masters (1994).
Basking in its silliness, this is incredibly unserious. Despite the occasional brutal murder of someone at the hands of an alien, this is never more dire than the ever-silly Stan Against Evil (2016-2018). But also like Stan Against Evil, the budget is meager. The little alien monster is neat, but after seeing it for a few seconds, it’s no marvel of special effects. But we’re here more for the giggles. There’s a gross giant cocoon thing, an Aliens-like crusty encasement for human host, and a funny alien sex with tiny male.
Sara and her high school friends end up saving the day and I never really cared, sorry. I liked the first 30 minutes quite a lot (i.e., the character-building portion), but then this really slowed down hard for me. I was hoping for a teen-sex iteration of Grabbers (2012). What I got was a marginably better than regrettable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.