When a shuttle explodes, spreading debris from Texas to D.C., Tucker Kaufman (Jeremy Northam) is contaminated by a deadly alien virus. Enter Carol (Nicole Kidman) his ex-wife and top psychiatrist in the D.C. area who is hesitant to allow visitation rights of their son Oliver (Jackson Bond) not because of the virus – she doesn’t know about that; not yet anyway – but because he’s been acting like a zombie, which is exactly how these aliens behave. When “they” show up, they are void of any emotion, slightly catatonic though they don’t attack. They’re usually sophisticated men in Brooks Brothers’ suits only anxious to have you drink a concoction that they’ve mixed up. The only one Carol can turn to is her boyfriend (Daniel Craig) but can she? What makes this movie work is its normalcy – meaning a divorced single, mother in the suburbs who walks her son to school and then goes to the office. It’s the fear of being chased by the “Bogie man” that puts us on the edge of our seats. What makes it possibly not work is that many viewers may find it too intelligent. All its scientific discussions makes for too much sci in the sci-fi. Three tiaras
