There are films that never seem to see the light of day and the late 80's obscure Sci-fi thriller "Stranded" happens to be one. Supposedly from the producers who brought us "Critters" and having the young up and coming star Ione Skye in the cast. I'm surprised that it wasn't a little more known. Anyhow the idea behind the story is very slight in what is an offbeat siege set-up with an intergalactic twist and while the threat wasn't inside the house but what was actually happening outside. This meant those sequences dealing with the aliens and their captors were less so interesting compared to the tension-fuelled and confrontational exchanges between the officers, local hicks and the mysterious FBI agent.
Teenager Deidre and her grandmother live in an isolated country house when one night they find themselves held hostage by aliens who escaped their world with an assassin on their trail. The situation becomes worse when a local and police officer are killed leading to a standoff between the aliens and the officers.
At just over 70 minutes, "Stranded" doesn't outstay its welcome and it's rather breezy as it hurries through. Even in that, the film is smart, taut and engrossing. The material is thoughtful and infectious in its themes. Rock solid performances ensure you keep watching. Maureen O'Sullivan, Joe Morton, Cameron Dye and Ione Skye all hold their own. Flea from the "Red Hot Chilli Peppers" plays one of the aliens and so does actress/stunt-woman Spice Williams-Crosby in the most distinctive costume design. Moody visuals are etched by director Tex Fuller, by letting the situation unfold with story development, character sensitivity and suspenseful set-pieces with some limited, but durable optical special effects.
"Anything is possible. I suppose."
