The Men (2018)

The Men: Directed by Michael G. Cooney. With Kyle Gallner, Azura Skye, Mary McCormack, Richard Schiff. After deciphering a message found in a satellite, brilliant cryptographer Alex Jacobs finds himself being stalked by government agents and otherworldly beings.

“Saw u0026#39;Alien Codeu0026#39; with no knowledge of what the rating and reviews were prior to watching. What drew me in was that it had one of the most interesting ideas for any low-budget film seen recently and it didnu0026#39;t look too bad from the advertising. Was a little worried at the same time, having seen so many films that waste great potential so badly.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThankfully, this was something that u0026#39;Alien Codeu0026#39; did not do. It didnu0026#39;t fully live up to this potential, but it turned out to be watchable if uneven and somewhat of a mixed bag. One of those films that started off very well, with some surprisingly well done elements that didnu0026#39;t fail as feared, but ran out of steam too early which is a shame.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026#39;Alien Codeu0026#39;su0026#39; best element is indeed the acting, which is as everybody said well above average. The best performances even very good, with a very strong lead in Kyle Gallner who brings intensity and likeability. Some of the photography was slick and there was some skill in the directing and a natural chemistry between the actors.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt, as aforementioned, started off very well. It was engrossing and had a lot of intrigue and thoughtful moments. The characters may not have been the meatiest but they didnu0026#39;t frustrate and did find it easy to get behind the leads.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhich is why it was unfortunate that the last act especially wasnu0026#39;t up to the same level. It did become over-complicated, as a result of being too ambitious and not doing enough with its ideas, and silly, which made some events and explanations vague and muddled, parts not explained enough or at all.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMuch of the dialogue is ropy and underdone as well as more complicated than necessary and the momentum in the pace is not as tight. The low budget does show in particularly the less than special and under-budgeted effects that had a shoestring 80s film look. The ending is ridiculous, confusing and a big anti-climax.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOverall, watchable and initially promising but felt like a different film by the end. 5/10 Bethany Cox”