Director: Steve Pink
Writers: Connor Diedrich, Samuel Johnson
Stars: Jermaine Fowler, James Morosini, Pauline Chalamet
Synopsis: During a weekend reunion, a rising sci-fi author welcomes three college friends to his home, but strange events begin to blur the lines between reality and imagination.
Steve Pink’s Terrestrial was one of the most hotly anticipated titles, having its world premiere at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival. The fact that it is also competing for the Cheval Noir award puts it high on the pedestal as a must-watch movie at the festival. Though it does seem like quite the unconventional project for the filmmaker, best known for his 2006 comedy Accepted and his Hot Tub Time Machine diptych.
However, Pink has flexed some of his filmmaking muscles in recent memory, with the thought-provoking documentary The Last Republican, where he followed the final term of Congressman Adam Kinzinger in the wake of the January 6th insurrection in 2021. Terrestrial seems like the next logical step in Pink’s body of work, where, instead of dabbling in the absurdities of his most-known comedies, he attempts something completely different than audiences expect from him.
In that regard, it is a movie I respect. Known directors with an established stylistic imprint usually don’t break conventions or step out of their comfort zone. They instead refine what they’re most known for with each subsequent project. There have been few examples where filmmakers who work in specific genres decide to do something audiences do not expect, with varying results. Music from the Heart may be one of Wes Craven’s best movies, even though it is so far removed from what people expect from him and has nothing to do with horror.
Pink does dabble in comedy with Terrestrial, but it’s not the main point of focus of his movie. Rather, he explores the descent into madness of Allen Perkins (Jermaine Fowler), as he hosts his former college friends Maddie (Pauline Chalamet), Ryan (James Morosini), and Vic (Edy Modica) to his lavish home in the Hollywood Hills. We meet Allen as his writing career has skyrocketed to incredible success, with a home and life he is proud of. However, we begin to notice cracks in his story, and it becomes increasingly clear that things aren’t what they seem.
What that entails, I’ll let you discover for yourself. However, as the plot progresses and Pink begins to pull back the curtain on what led Allen to be in this lavish house, one can see the developments coming a mile away, and the film isn’t as interesting as the director thinks it is. It’s partly due to the fact that its themes have been treated in arguably better films, such as Rob Reiner’s Misery, which Terrestrial seems to be taking much inspiration from. However, it contains a unique sci-fi element that sets the movie apart from the bevy of Misery-inspired knockoffs, but presents far too many ideas and plot threads in such a short amount of time for them to develop effectively.
Terrestrial’s story goes off in all directions, and has little to no active payoffs when it reaches its admittedly nifty climax, featuring a surprisingly effective shootout captured to make it look like one take. If anything, Pink’s dexterity as a filmmaker is on full display here, far more than the studio comedies he has been boxed in since helming Accepted. He teeters with action and sci-fi cinema conventions, while also splashing a bit of horror into the mix as Allen meets his literary idol, S.J. Purcell (Brendan Hunt). However, none of these generic permutations go anywhere, just as its story, which constantly blurs the line between reality and fiction, leaves no room for tangible interpretation, preventing its audience from feeling moderately invested in its proceedings.
It’s only because of Fowler’s riveting performance as Allen that we keep watching, and are somewhat curious to see how Terrestrial will wrap up. And while its denouement is certainly unique, it raises far more questions than answers, not only in the thematic underpinnings Pink plays with, but in the development of his paper-thin protagonists that don’t get enough time for us to latch onto their quest for success, or, in this case, a literal descent into Hell. Pink seems like a cool enough person who has undoubtedly made his mark in comedy cinema (I eagerly await Hot Tub Time Machine 3, if ever it happens) and wants to expand his imprint as a filmmaker. It is more than respectable, but the end result of Terrestrial leaves much to be desired, and it will likely take a few more tries before Pink churns out something of note away from comedy and into (hopefully) something greater than the director he is now.
