Species: The Awakening Review

Review of Species: The Awakening (2007) by screenqueeen: 👍 4.5/5

HOOPTOBER 11 DAY 42 -11 DAYS REMAIN {EXTENSION GRANTED BY THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS TO 10/31/24} {5 DAYS REMAIN IN CLEMENCY} TITLE 29 OF 39

What is it with me and garbage sequels? I fucking love this honest, sleazy rebranding of something that has been trying so hard to be earnest and pertinent, perhaps even poignant. But director Nick Lyon (shot-calling director on TITANIC 666 & BERMUDA TENTACLES -- this guy knows what he's making at least!) throttles us directly within the stream of the SPECIES sex drive -- finally! If anything we get to see more of the aliens shapeshifting, and more of an injection of gay sex to spice things up a bit more.

The feeling I got from watching this matches exactly the kind of wonder I experienced as a kid looking at these boxes at the rental store, wondering what kind of sexual depravity adults could let themselves gorge on after a long day at work counting coins or teaching kids or whatever I thought they did for a living. There's a kind of admirable back alley Alex Proyas-like approach to this whole thing (see: GODS OF EGYPT) that feels authentically and wholesomely greasy about being horny all the time but in a way that assures you that others feel just the same way if not more in heat. It's comforting, if anything!