I’ve always appreciated director Freddie Francis’ contributions to Hammer Films, so I was curious to see how he would handle this smaller-scale production, given the reduced resources and less experienced performers. It isn’t awful, but there are moments where it drags, and it bears an uncomfortable resemblance to Stephen King's 'The Tommyknockers,' which might actually be attributable to the source novel, 'The Gods Hate Kansas,' rather than the movie itself. It stretches credulity that the two female characters seem intensely drawn to the main character, Dr. Curtis Temple—unless their interest was motivated by his wealth or some unresolved personal issues. Robert Hutton, who portrayed him, appeared considerably older than his actual age of 47 during filming; the actresses playing his assistant Lee Mason and the gas station attendant looked like they could plausibly be his daughter and granddaughter respectively. The casting choices in that regard were unfortunate, though the actors all adequately handle their roles’ limited demands. I appreciated how this film, unlike many science fiction movies, considered the possibility of cooperating with the alien invaders as an alternative to a war that seemed unavoidable. Science fiction and horror remain popular genres because they provide insightful ways to examine contemporary social issues through metaphor. It feels like we need to start having thoughtful conversations about these concerns instead of rigidly adhering to our beliefs, and I’m not interested in hearing from anyone who disagrees. That's really the only chance we have as a society.

Source on TMDB