Even years later the memories of lockdowns that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic feel fresh. It was a strange time when all were isolated but connected through technology. As with any major event it has had its effect on films, with the 2020 movie Host being a brilliant window to life in the pandemic whilst also being terrifying.
Touchdown attempts to apply the stresses and fears of the COVID-19 lockdown to a horror scenario as a group of friends react to an unfolding alien infestation of Earth. It's not a bad idea under its own merit, the problem is that an alien invasion feels ill-suited for it. This is because, unlike a virus, an alien invasion doesn't lend itself to self-isolation. We're told that it's because the creatures will target groups of people but we never see any evidence of that.
Considering that people are getting killed anyway proves how ineffectual that plan is, and not in a way that lends itself to commentary on the government's poor advice and actions in the early days of COVID-19. At the same time, most of the victims you hear about are from actions various governments have made as they move towards martial law. The police drones that pop up throughout feel like more of a threat than the actual aliens. It's all a bit messy, like an idea that wasn't fully thought out how it could work before the story was written.
In terms of performances Clinton Liberty, most recently seen as Addam of Hull in House of the Dragon, does the heaviest lifting as Jamie. The rest of the cast is fine, although Cressida Bonas' Emma is a bit insipid. Jason Flemyng turns up a few times as a rogue scientist trying to find the truth about the creatures, but he has so little impact on anything you could just remove those scenes entirely and lose nothing.
There are good points to the film. Despite being a first feature, there is a certain confidence to director Josephine Rose's work and the pace never drags. The film also gives a good sense of this being a worldwide event, that this is something large-scale happening. Touchdown has a good foundation of craft, but the weakness of the story and writing means that it has nothing to build on top of that.
Touchdown had its world premiere at FrightFest 2024 as part of the First Blood strand on Saturday, August 24
