I watched this film on TV yesterday, and it’s funny because I was actually hoping to see another movie with a similar title from 2017 instead. Still, I didn't regret spending my time: even though alien invasion movies aren't usually my thing, the film is fairly dynamic, has good action scenes and impressive CGI, so at least it’s entertaining... once. Just once. Let’s start with what works well: the story takes place in Moscow, a Russian city, before current tensions with Ukraine when Russians seemed more open to Western connections. That was refreshing because sci-fi films usually focus on US cities. I suspect filming in Russia also helped keep production costs down. Beyond the clever use of locations like Red Square and the GUM Shopping Center, the film delivers plenty of high-quality CGI, which is especially noticeable when the aliens appear. There’s a lot of visual effects throughout. The sound effects are good too, and the action sequences are exciting enough to keep things moving along. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. Everything else has so many flaws that it doesn't warrant a second viewing. It's just my opinion, but I think most people would agree there are plenty of alien invasion films out there that make this one look ridiculous. Director Chris Gorak seems to have prioritized CGI and action over actually directing the film. The cast is very young and largely left to their own devices, interpreting the characters as they see fit. Emile Hirsch gave a strong performance in “Into the Wild” previously, but he had a well-defined character and good direction; here, his character lacks substance, resulting in a bland and uninspired portrayal. Max Minghella, who was in "The Social Network," wasn't a great choice for his role. He often seems like an actor destined to play supporting characters because of a lack of presence and charisma. Joel Kinnaman is disappointingly weak as the villain; he acts like a high school bully with a character as thin as paper. Olivia Thirlby’s character feels purely decorative, seemingly designed just to look attractive. Rachael Taylor's performance is so irritating that you almost cheer when her character dies. I don’t recognize any of the Russian actors, but even Veronika Vernadskaya was somewhat enjoyable. The Russian cast seems to exist solely to portray Russians as tough guys, a "Rambo nation" with machine guns; Putin would probably appreciate seeing this in a Western film. As bad as the acting is, the script borrows elements and scenes from other sci-fi films like “Cloverfield,” creating a story that lacks logic or real suspense. It’s disappointing that such good CGI and filming locations couldn't create even a little tension for the audience. The plot is weak, and there are moments where the film seems to be mocking our intelligence: Moscow is densely populated, so it doesn't make sense that only five or six people would be wandering around after an initial attack? A commercial plane crashing into a shopping center is visually striking, but where did the wings go? And why isn’t there any fire, debris, or explosions? The film concludes with a nuclear submarine leaving the Moscow River. Anyone can see that the river isn't deep or wide enough for something that size to maneuver! It's insulting to think viewers would buy this.

Source on TMDB