Almost Human

Beneath the waves of commercial pop films of the 1980s was a dark undercurrent of violent horror and sci-fi, ranging from The Beast Within to From Beyond. Those extreme films inspired a brood of fledgling filmmakers. Director Joe Begos and editor/ actor Josh Ethier are poster children for this deranged warping of impressionable young minds.

A quiet night on the outskirts of a small town in Maine is interrupted when Seth (Graham Skipper) witnesses his best friend Mark (Ethier) vanish in a brilliant flash of blue light. Two years later, Seth is still dealing with the fallout from the freaky incident, amid local suspicion that he is to blame for his friend's disappearance. When a string of grisly murders disrupts the community, Seth believes Mark has returned. Together with Mark's ex-girlfriend Jen (Vanessa Leigh), he races to find out if their friend is responsible — or if something beyond their understanding is unfolding before them.

Almost Human is a raw indie film that delivers the splatter, drawing from many of the touchstones of cinematic shock for a refreshingly intense thriller bound to excite a new generation of moviegoers.

Ethier and Begos have known each other since high school, and their efficient teamwork is evident in this lean-and-mean horror flick that touches on friendship, love, and — most importantly — violent alien abduction. Get ready for some probes …

COLIN GEDDES