Screamers

After Total Recall, screenwriter Dan O’Bannon comes back with another sci-fi inspired by Philip K. Dick. It’s more of a B flick this time, which is not a bad thing. Peter Weller fits in wonderfully and the atmosphere in Screamers is just so great! Slightly undervalued inconspicuous gem. (19.04.2018)

Screamers can be used as a typical example of a B-movie. The film has all the basic characteristics, i.e., low budget, a simple screenplay that doesn't count on a demanding viewer and that has to do everything to fit within the mentioned limited budget, as well as mostly unknown average actors. On the other hand, with its straightforwardness and energy, it can appeal to a genre fan and doesn't pretend to be anything else. Although the sets are simple and there are minimal effects, the director managed to create a decent atmosphere. However, during the film, I was bothered by how superficially the literary source material was treated. Philip K. Dick usually creates a multilayered story, where the protagonist is a victim of both his own paranoia and a real conspiracy of his surroundings. The screenwriter couldn't transfer this multilayeredness to the screen, so the viewer is confronted with a series of twists, which can be predicted soon enough and the film doesn't surprise. Adapting Philip K. Dick means dedicating an exceptionally large amount of work to the screenplay and the selection of actors who can sell his sophisticated game to the audience. Meanwhile, the story of a soldier who gradually realizes that he fought a completely useless war and became a victim of a complex game contains traces of a Shakespearean drama. Readers familiar with Philip K. Dick's work can clearly recognize who is behind the film's source material. All the ingredients typical for Dick's work are present. Nobody knows who is who and what game they are actually playing. It's a shame about the inconsistencies that diminish the final impression of the film. Overall impression: 45%. (09.03.2009)

The film "Screamers - Voices from the Underground" is not a great adaptation, but it is a pretty good film that you shouldn't expect too many action scenes from, and if there are any, they aren't particularly great. However, you can still expect some sci-fi that has a certain idea it wants to present. It's not a groundbreaking idea and it's not presented in a completely original way, but thanks to it, this sci-fi doesn't come off as stupid. And you'll also find some horror moments in there. (27.08.2015)

A more than decent B-movie based on a lesser-known short story by Dick. It has a better ending and takes place on Earth, by the way. The planet looks really disheveled, snow in the desert is a great idea, the same as the two moons... World class almost for free. :D Peter Weller is a tough nice guy from the old school, the rest of the cast does not excel in any way. The main thing is the atmosphere. I’ll give it an extra star for effort. It left me with the same feeling I had after watching Pitch Black. - There’s a lot you can do. - Sure, pay taxes. (24.09.2013)