FANTASIA 2023: ‘The Becomers’ Brings Vibrancy To Alien Romance

Director Zach Clark looks to create his own science fiction cult favorite with the offbeat The Becomers. With real-life influences from the pandemic and the general state of crisis in the world, Clark delivers a clever story about a body-snatching alien who has arrived on Earth and is able to reconnect with their partner. Their objective isn’t world domination or anything nefarious that may arise in another alien invasion story. Rather, as evidenced through the ongoing narration, they’re simply trying to find their way in modern-day America with all of its politicized extremist ways, while basking in their love for the other. A love story, and, at times, nihilistic comedy, this genre cocktail balances these tones while holding and displaying a clear reverence for grotesque body horror. Clark has gone big, and the result is as mesmerizing as it is at times nauseating. The Becomers played at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2023.

The story needed to be straightforward to allow for the abundance of visual playfulness the film engages with. This is demonstrated right in the opening moments, as a man in the woods witnesses the aliens’ arrival, the spaceship it arrived in is captured in a POV shot through the man’s binoculars, a plume of bright pink smoke seen in the distance. Quickly, we realize that the alien is able to commandeer the bodies of humans to use as a vessel, and this one does so with a pregnant woman whose car is pulled over as the woman in question yells for help. It’s the first of many moments where the darkness that’s implied is more effective than what could’ve been shown.

That said, what the film does show is the biggest highlight of The Becomers. There’s a definite commentary on the state of our world. In particular, a late act two plot regarding a local governor goes heavy on the message of radicalization of society and the success rates of bad men in positions of power. That said, it’s the science fiction and the tricks utilized to create bold moments that soar best. The script offers a solid foundation, but the film flourishes in the mess and mayhem that comes from practical effects.

In an era so increasingly dominated by CGI and special effects, it remains a breath of fresh air whenever a film dares to (or is forced to by budget) instill greater emphasis on practical filmmaking techniques. The alien design itself is simple but striking. The transformation process utilizes flashes of lights and their language is depicted through sounds and trills.

So much of the look and feel of the film is achieved through clever technicalities. We don’t need elaborate sets or CGI to achieve the goal of introducing an alien into a human world and watching to see if they’re able to blend in. Instead, The Becomers wields bile that sprays neon yellow, outfits that display contrasting colors, and frames of bizarre food pairings as they chomp on pickles and dry cereal. And, when the film does want to make a finer point and display the physiology that makes these creatures alien, there are textured prosthetics and sound effects.

The Becomers is a lean science fiction film that seeks to honor the genre with inspirations from the original Star Trek series while pushing the story into the modern world. Before, an alien invasion would be noteworthy due to their threat and everything that made them unknowable. The Becomers instead posits the question of what happens when the body-snatching aliens are the ones who are caught off guard by the plagues of the humans they’ve embodied.

The Becomers played at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2023.