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Interesting core concept struggles to shine through absurd and heavy-handed grotesqueries. Indie film with mismatched humor and shocking scenes lacks consistency in execution. Experiment gone wrong; film fails to polish the concept and crosses too many lines.

The Becomers (2024) has an interesting premise that becomes buried underneath awkward performances and moments that attempt to shock us into thinking it's artsy. While there does seem to be a core message examining the human condition from the perspective of alien invaders, and their developing appreciation and understanding of humans, the message is voided thanks to grotesque and absurd imagery. Despite a valiant effort and passion from writer/director/editor Zach Clark, the movie feels inconsistent and disappointing.

The Becomers (2024) Director Zach ClarkRelease Date August 23, 2024Writers Zach ClarkCast Victoria Misu, Anne Ruttencutter, Keith Kelly, Isabel Alamin, Frank V. Ross, Molly Plunk, Mike Lopez, Russell MaelRuntime 86 MinutesGenres Sci-Fi, Romance, Comedy

When a pair of powerful aliens land on Earth,...

Since Jack Finney’s “The Body Snatchers” was first published 70 years ago, screen adaptations — official and unofficial alike — have taken place in small-town USA, Me Decade San Francisco, a military base, high school and so forth. All had a gist in common: humanity being infiltrated and co-opted by a shape-shifting invasive force from outer space. Loosely playing on that theme, Zach Clark’s “The Becomers” adds a new wrinkle, in that this time the body-hopping entities don’t necessarily intend conquest. They just want to co-exist, peacefully. But it turns out they may have chosen the wrong planet and/or species, because they discover today’s mankind is perhaps too messed up to be worth the trouble.

That’s a good premise for the kind of sly, deadpan absurdism Clark aims for here. But despite its fantastical hook, this episodic narrative lands short of the curiously winsome black comedy quirkiness...

The Becomers: "Forced to flee their dying planet, two body-snatching alien lovers arrive separately on Earth. Determined to find each other, the aliens jump from body to body, but they quickly learn that it's not easy to inhabit their new, fleshy hosts, and that life in modern-day America is more complicated than they could have ever imagined."

"Writer/director Zach Clark’s acclaimed sci-fi genre-bender The Becomers kicks off its U.S. theatrical release on Friday, August, 23rd and arrives on VOD in North America on Tuesday, September 24th. The film will open in New York on August 23rd at Cinema Village, in Los Angeles on August 30th at Lumiere Music Hall, and in Chicago on September 13th at Music Box Theatre, with more cities listed below.

The latest film from the celebrated American indie filmmaker, the visually striking and outrageously plotted film reverberates with the pulse of politics...

The trailer for the 2023 film, The Becomers is here, putting a more gruesome and absurd take to the body-snatching genre. The film made its debut during the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival and stars Russell Mael, Molly Plunk, Isabel Alamin, Keith Kelly, and Mike Lopez. The film will have a limited theatrical release across America before it makes its way to VOD for all to see.

As the summer movie season comes to a close, August brings a shockingly stacked slate of offerings, topped by a film that is sure to age like a fine classic in years to come. Elsewhere we have accomplished debuts, action spectacles, and a thriller from the man who has recently returned to perfecting the formula.

15. Blink Twice (Zoë Kravitz; Aug. 23)

While its new title doesn’t quite have the hook of its original, Pussy Island, we’re curious what’s in store for the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz. Featuring some cast––including Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, and Geena Davis––the story follows a cocktail waitress who becomes infatuated with a tech mogul and travels with him to his private island, where things begin going wrong. Featuring cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra (The Last Black Man in San...

Body-snatching aliens attempt to navigate love in the modern world in genre-bending comedy The Becomers, and exclusive new images reveal just how goopy and gross the body hopping can be.

Dark Star Pictures releases The Becomers in theaters on August 23, 2024.

In The Becomers: “Dropped to Earth and escaping their dying planet, the two extraterrestrials (played by a sequence of actors) seek each other out —jumping from body to body— on our planet while becoming increasingly drawn into the madness of modern-day America.

Written, directed, and edited by Zach Clark (Little Sister), the film was shot in Chicago and stars Molly Plunk (Little Sister, Profane), Mike Lopez (All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, Crimes Against Humanity), Frank V. Ross (Drinking Buddies), Isabel Alamin, and Keith Kelly, and features the voice Russell Mael, lead singer of the explosive pop-rock band Sparks. The Becomers is produced by Joe Swanberg (Depraved, The Rental), and Edwin Linker (Saint Frances,...

White Reindeer and Little Sister director Zach Clark returned to the festival circuit last year with The Becomers, a sci-fi tale narrated by none other than Sparks frontman Russell Mael and starring Molly Plunk, Mike Lopez, Keith Kelly, Isabel Alamin, and Frank V. Ross. Picked up by Dark Star Pictures, they’ve now debuted the first trailer ahead of a U.S. theatrical release on August, 23rd and VOD release on September 24.

Here’s the synopsis: “Forced to flee their dying planet, two body-snatching alien lovers arrive separately on Earth. Determined to find each other, the aliens jump from body to body, but they quickly learn that it’s not easy to inhabit their new, fleshy hosts, and that life in modern-day America is more complicated than they could have ever imagined.”

Jared Mobarak said in his review, “Writer-director Zach Clark has seemingly worked backwards from the Qanon chaos that...

"I guess we're gonna have to start assimilating sooner rather than later." Dark Star Pictures has revealed an official trailer for The Becomers, an indie sci-fi comedy from filmmaker Zach Clark. This premiered at the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal one year ago, and is ready for release in US art house theaters + on VOD this fall. A body-snatching alien comes to Earth, reconnects with their missing partner alien, and tries to find their way in modern America. The "visually striking and outrageously plotted film reverberates with the pulse of politics & cultural trends of the last five years – drawing from Covid, Qanon, and constant states of anxiety – while exploring themes of confusion, isolation, and the deep need for human connection through the story of two body-snatching alien lovers." Starring Molly Plunk, Mike Lopez, Keith Kelly, Isabel Alamin, and Frank V. Ross, and featuring narration from Sparks' lead singer Russell Mael.

Indie filmmaker Zach Clark is returning to the big screen with the alien sci-fi dramedy “The Becomers.”

Written and directed by “White Reindeer” filmmaker Clark, “The Becomers” centers on two aliens who realize just how messed up America is after landing on Earth.

The official synopsis reads: “Forced to flee their dying planet, two body-snatching alien lovers arrive separately on Earth. Determined to find each other, the aliens jump from body to body, but they quickly learn that it’s not easy to inhabit their new, fleshy hosts, and that life in modern-day America is more complicated than they could have ever imagined.”

Molly Plunk, Mike Lopez, Keith Kelly, Isabel Alamin, and Frank V. Ross star. Sparks lead Russel Mael narrates.

The film is being released by Dark Star Pictures and includes satirical references to Covid, QAnon, and other divisive issues in American politics. The film debuted at the 2023 Fantasia...

Body-snatching aliens attempt to navigate love in the modern world in genre-bending comedy The Becomers, and Dark Star Pictures announced today that they’ve acquired it for release.

In The Becomers: “Dropped to Earth and escaping their dying planet, the two extraterrestrials (played by a sequence of actors) seek each other out —jumping from body to body— on our planet while becoming increasingly drawn into the madness of modern-day America.

Written, directed, and edited by Zach Clark (Little Sister), the film was shot in Chicago and stars Molly Plunk (Little Sister, Profane), Mike Lopez (All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, Crimes Against Humanity), Frank V. Ross (Drinking Buddies), Isabel Alamin, and Keith Kelly, and features the voice Russell Mael, lead singer of the explosive pop-rock band Sparks. The Becomers is produced by Joe Swanberg (Depraved, The Rental), and Edwin Linker (Saint Frances, Queen of Earth) of Slasher Films.

Clark...

Dark Star Pictures has acquired the North American distribution rights to Zach Clark’s genre-bending comedy “The Becomers,” with plans for a theatrical release in the third quarter of 2024. The acquisition took place before the commencement of the 2024 European Film Market on Feb. 15.

The alien romance film had its world premiere at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal; it subsequently screened at Beyond Fest and the Leeds International Film Festival. The cast includes Molly Plunk, Mike Lopez, Frank V. Ross, Isabel Alamin and Keith Kelly. Russell Mael, the lead singer of Sparks, lends his voice to the film as narrator.

Written in march 2021, the film “reverberates with the pulse of American politics of that time,” according to the description. It draws from Covid, Qanon, and “constant states of anxiety while exploring themes of confusion, isolation and the deep need for human connection through the story of two body-snatching alien lovers.

Last week, a bunch of high-ranking military officials went before the US Congress and admitted that the government has been aware of the existence of aliens and that remains of extraterrestrials had been recovered from UFO crash sites. But the public at large was relatively unphased by this news because we're already so wrapped up in our own problems. How much more shocking can an alien invasion be to say, a global pandemic or a climate crisis?

Seeing The Becomers at the Fantasia Film Festival reflected this mood. The sci-fi rom-com indie satire drops a pair of aliens into a distracted and troubled world much like our own. It was written and directed by Zach Clark (Little Sister) in the early days of Covid-19, joining the leagues of post-pandemic flicks like Sick and Corona Zombies.

“…the film has an unworldly feeling to it…”

In The Becomers, an alien has landed on earth,...

Body-snatching aliens attempt to navigate love in the modern world in The Becomers, a genre-bending comedy set to make its premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival.

A new clip and poster reveal below gives a glimpse at the weird, funny, grotesque blend of genres in the latestby writer/director Zach Clark (Little Sister).

The Becomers tells “of a body-snatching alien who comes to Earth, reconnects with their partner, and tries to find their way in modern America.”

Written, directed, and edited by Clark, the film was shot in Chicago and stars Molly Plunk (Little Sister, Profane), Mike Lopez (All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, Crimes Against Humanity), Frank V. Ross (Drinking Buddies), Isabel Alamin, and Keith Kelly, and features the voice Russell Mael, lead singer of the explosive pop-rock band Sparks. The Becomers is produced by Joe Swanberg (Depraved, The Rental), and Edwin Linker (Saint Frances, Queen of Earth) of Slasher Films.

A new, exclusive first-look clip and poster has been released for Zach Clark’s upcoming genre-bending comedy The Becomers ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival later this week on July 22nd. The Becomers tells the story of a body-snatching alien who comes to Earth, reconnects with their partner, and tries to find their way in modern America. You can check out the exclusive clip and brand-new poster below.

Written and conceived in early 2021, The Becomers reflects the challenges of the real world at the time through its pointedly chaotic portrayal of society, with science fiction elements heavily inspired by the original Star Trek series. A true brew of surprising genres, the film is all at once comedic, horrific, grotesque, and romantic. The imminent premiere of The Becomers marks Clark’s second time screening at the Fantasia International Film Festival following the 2016 Canadian premiere of Little Sister,...

It’s time for some body-snatching mayhem.

Zach Clark’s “The Becomers,” about confused alien lovers trying to find their place on Earth, and each other, has debuted the first clip and poster ahead of its Fantasia Film Festival premiere.

“I was really inspired and influenced by 1950s B-movies. I have always liked the disreputable pockets of film history. My general approach to the entire movie was to embrace that and embrace kitsch as an access point,” said Clark.

“Older genre films really invite the audience in. Now, it’s all about visual effects and things looking as real as possible. But this more lo-fi effect asks you to play along in a way that modern stuff doesn’t.”

Also joining in on the fun is the film’s surprising narrator, Russell Mael, best known as the lead singer for Sparks: The cult American band celebrated by Edgar Wright...

Horror Feature “My (Best Friend’S) Head Exploded” to Premiere in June: "Writer/Director Scott Bryan’s puppet-filled existential horror feature, “My (Best Friend’S) Head Exploded,” will have its two-weekend world premiere this June.

“My (Best Friend’s) Head Exploded” is a rebellious, existential, terrifyingly messy puppet feature made out of material things by actual people. It tells the story of Lydia, a coming-of-ageless vampire forced to deal with the loss of her best friend, Sam, after the pair conjures a moment of complete clarity which causes Sam’s head to explode.

In the aftermath, Lydia must contend with old ghosts, generational trauma, oppressive authority figures, and the confusing fear of infinity to set reality right and save her own sanity.

“I love making weird stuff that a studio would be afraid of and a computer couldn’t replicate,” Bryan said.

The film will show at the Salem Witch Board Museum in Salem,...

The genre-bending comedy features a voice performance from Sparks’ Russell Mael.

Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to Zach Clark’s The Becomers and will launch the genre-bending comedy at this week’s Cannes market.

Clark wrote, directed and edited the film, which tells the story of a body-snatching alien who comes to Earth, reconnects with their partner and tries to find their way in modern America.

Molly Plunk, Mike Lopez, Frank V Ross, Isabel Alamin and Keith Kelly star and Sparks lead singer Russell Mael has a voice role.

Clark said: “During the pandemic, I binged the original...

Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to “The Becomers,” a genre-bending comedy written and directed by Zach Clark. The company will launch the film at the Marche Du Film in Cannes this week. “The Becomer” tells the story of a body-snatching alien who comes to Earth, reconnects with their partner, and tries to find their way in modern America.

“During the pandemic, I binged the original ‘Star Trek’ series for the first time and then I made this movie” Clark said about his latest film. “It felt like life as we knew it was ending, but then again, it also felt like that might not be the worst thing either. ‘The Becomers’ is a story of love, longing, and alienation. A kitsch-soaked, pathos-laden melodrama about our sad, sad planet. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever made and I can’t think of anyone better than Yellow Veil...

Salon Media says they have reached an 11th hour deal to sell the company and its flagship property Salon.com for $5 million. In an SEC filing, Salon also revealed its position was dire and that it would face imminent “bankruptcy and liquidation” if the deal should fall through.

“We have agreed to sell substantially all of our assets (the “Asset Sale”), including all pertinent intellectual property rights comprising the Company’s business of owning, operating and publishing the website known as Salon.com,” the filing read.

The company buying Salon was named only as Salon.com LLC and appeared to be getting an even better deal than the top line figures first suggest. To complete the sale, the buyer need only pay $550,000 at closing, with an additional $100,000 left in an escrow account. The filing also showed that a deposit of $500,000 had already been paid.

Also Read: Matt Drudge Blasts 'Old,...

The New York Post offered condolences to The Daily News this week after the tabloid’s parent company Tronc slashed editorial by 50 percent in a brutal day of layoffs.

In an editorial, the Rupert Murdoch-owned Post put aside a decades old rivalry to mourn the journalism talent the city was losing.

“Yes, the News has been The Post’s competitor for decades, and the rivalry’s often turned bitter. But rivalry has its joys, as well: Even getting beaten to a story is an inspiration to do better next time,” said the Post. “We sincerely hope the remaining staff can find a way to turn things around. We want to beat the News, but not like this.”

Also Read: Joe Scarborough: Trump Leads 'The Most Corrupt Administration in Modern History' (Video)

That sentiment was echoed by the Post’s media columnist Keith Kelly.

“None of the reporters at...