Vero Airlines Flight 298 from New Orleans to Seattle becomes the center of a chilling supernatural mystery.
Director Steven Quale worked as a second-unit director for James Cameron early in his career. When he stepped out from under Cameron’s shadow, he directed “Final Destination 5,” which, in my opinion, is one of the best entries in the series and, before last year’s “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” brought the entire franchise full circle with the film’s big twist. After spending years working with Cameron, he learned what it takes to be a good director — and FD5 is proof of that.
When I saw the trailer for his latest effort, a sci-fi thriller titled “Black Box,” it piqued my curiosity. An airplane hijacked by aliens. What could go wrong? Apparently, everything. While the movie is pretty to look at overall, with impressive cinematography by Quale, everything else is simply perfunctory. The acting, story, and music all do their jobs well enough, but nothing really stands out. Every part of the movie is just… fine—there isn’t a single element that grabs your attention. The movie just sort of sits there. It’s one of the most conventional films I’ve watched in a while—not exactly bad, but there’s nothing memorable about it either. You’ve seen this story told plenty of times, often with more care or creativity, and at no point does it seem interested in being anything special.
What starts as a regular flight from New Orleans to Seattle quickly becomes a nightmare. The plane faces strange occurrences in the air. Passengers see odd lights in the clouds and soon develop unexplained bleeding from their eyes, noses, and ears. With no one at the controls, the passengers must struggle to survive against escalating supernatural events and alien forces.
It’s revealed that extraterrestrials have been possessing humans, though their method remains unclear. The film’s most intriguing element is the discovery that these beings intercept aircraft mid-flight, abduct and infect the passengers, and then allow the plane to proceed to its intended destination. Upon arrival, the infected individuals can transmit the alien presence to others on the ground. This concept presents an inventive perspective in an otherwise lackluster film.
Some of the actors flourish in their roles, while others seem emotionless, almost like they’re reading their lines from cue cards. The film is basically an updated version of Jack Finney’s “The Body Snatchers,” and while it’s plainly obvious that the movie had a decent budget, it just never gets off the ground, pun intended. And that’s a shame because it’s apparent that there is talent, both in front of and behind the camera.
For Easter egg enthusiasts, in the movie’s opening, while the passengers are waiting to board, we hear an announcement over the intercom in the background that Flight 180 to Paris has been delayed due to bad weather. If you know, you know.
In Theaters Wednesday, June 17th
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