INFESTATION

Most straight-to-DVD releases are rubbish, but this 2008 horror thriller is an exception to the rule . . .

An office drone and slacker (Chris Marquette) wakes up to find himself wrapped up in some sort of cocoon. Seconds after freeing himself he is attacked by a giant over-sized insect, which he manages to chase off. After freeing some of his fellow co-workers who have also been cocooned, he and the newly formed group discovered that their entire city has been taken over by the alien bugs.

In addition to the ones they have already faced there also some nasty flying ones as well as spider/human hybrid creatures. Their lives not only become a struggle to survive but also to figure out a way to destroy the bugs? nest on the outskirts of town . . .

Infestation was made on a shoestring budget of $5 million, but you'd never guess it: the script is fast-paced and production values (special effects, cinematography, music, etc.) are pretty decent too. Sure, its lack of budget comes apparent in the somewhat underwhelming scenes of city-wide destruction, but the truth is that Infestation ? while not an instant classic of the giant bug genre ? is much more enjoyable than a lot of more expensive movies out there.

The movie's biggest asset is its sheer energy. The pacing is brisk and the movie never bores. It does all this without skimping on characterization or resorting to the sort of breakneck editing and other cheap tricks that hack film-makers such as Michael Bay resort to. It does however never explain the origin of the giant bugs (genetic experiment gone wrong? radiation? invaders from outer space?). Not that it really matters one supposes.

WORTH IT? Infestation is the rare accident. It is the sort of DVD rental you'll be taking a chance on because the bigger titles are out and will be pleasantly surprised by it. It has its flaws (the under-populated city, some occasionally dodgy acting, losing some cohesion at times), but it's a brisk, fast-paced action / horror / sci-fi effort that always manages to entertain.

RECOMMENDATION: A neat rental. Check it out.