The Seed

A meteorite shower brings the gore in writer/director Sam Walker’s debut horror feature that is ambitious on approach, but fails to land its mark….

With the title that screams out “ALIEN INVASION”, The Seed at times makes you question exactly what is going on and where the plot is heading, an intriguing hook that helps you get past the slow burn opening half, but once the horror reveals its hand, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.

The plot follows three close friends, social media influencer Deidre (Lucy Martin), reserved Charlotte (Chelsea Edge), and easily pleased Heather (Sophie Vavasseur) — who decide to get away for the weekend, in the middle of a desert to get drunk and watch the rare meteor shower that is due to lighten up the night skies.

All is going to plan until a grotesque, smelling egg pod thingumabob crash lands in their swimming pool, that eventually hatches a pig like alien creature which seems to influence the behaviour of the close friends.

There is a lot to admire in Walker’s script in which for the good first hour it concentrates on the relationship between the three friends, with Deidre and Heather obsessed with their phones, while Charlotte still holds an old model and doesn’t care about writing her next status for the world to see. You’ll question how this three woman are friends but the social commentary on Social Media doesn’t go quite as deep as the early premise suggests, instantly forgotten once the signal on their phones disappear.

Its the mystery angle that will keep you intrigued! Why does this mystery creature squeal in pain and what kind of mind control does it hold as an early scene brings an uncomfortable sequence of Charlotte kissing a fifteen year old boy, clearly under the influence of this mystery creature.

For many the dialogue heavy prologue will be off putting, but then oddly like someone flicking a switch, Walker remembers that this is a horror film and it becomes a gory body horror with enough black oozy slime to make Mulder and Scully turn up to investigate.

The dreamlike horror sequence will just do enough to appease a few watching but for many and I include myself, will be left frustrated at the many plot threads that don’t go anywhere and a sense that The Seed relies on good practical effects to wow the horror community but has forgotten to add the meat to its very thin plot.

A case of alien gooey style over decent plot substance……

THE SEED IS NOW AVALIABLE ON SHUDDER