‘Terrestrial’ review: The pains of the creative process | Fantasia 2025

Best known for his work in comedy, filmmaker Steve Pink pivots to thriller in the engaging, if thin, Terrestrial. Admirable for its fearless nature in continually raising the stakes, the film loses steam in the setup and then works double time in the back half as it unravels the previously told story. Based on the screenplay by Connor Diedrich and Samuel Johnson, the film delivers on some interesting, ugly truths about the horrors of the creative process and, worse, mediocrity. However, even at just 90 minutes, the film struggles to hold our attention.

And that’s mainly due to a necessary, but poorly paced, first act that establishes our protagonist, Allen (Jermaine Fowler), and the three friends from college who have traveled to visit him at the behest of his worried mother. Mady (Pauline Chalamet), Ryan (James Morosini), and Vic (Edy Modica) haven’t seen Alan in a while, making their reunion fraught with immediate tension. When we first meet Allen, he seems to have, miraculously, hit it big as an author despite his debut having yet to hit the shelves. Yet here he stands, in a Beverly Hills-style mansion, surrounded by opulence ranging from the props of his revered science-fiction series to a Mustang parked in his fountain-adorned driveway. This is not the Alan they expected to see.

Terrestrial immediately captures a sense of unease as Allen’s friends come to terms with his new reality. Ryan’s toxic, masculine pride is threatened by Alan’s success. Vic is suspicious of his behavior, instantly on high-alert at every new, left-field remark Allen makes. Mady is simply trying to keep the peace while throwing snide remarks at her fiancée, Ryan. All in all, a nightmarish friend gathering where you wonder if any of these people actually like one another at all.

Steve Pink delivers a sleek, science fiction aesthetic.

All of which makes for a strong foundation. But it’s not very interesting if only because we’ve seen these type of set ups before and done better. Aside from Fowler, the actors struggle with believability though Modica offers some necessary comedic relief. Every scene goes on a touch too long, defusing any mounting tension. It’s all shot beautifully with Pink and cinematographer Tom Hernquist taking advantage of the architectural smorgasbord of the mansion. The high ceilings and spiral staircases give the film an immediate, gothic injection that adds to the otherworldly atmosphere. A sense of the four friends being out of place and time.

This is also helped by the footage of the old science-fiction series that Alan loves that weaves itself throughout the film. Pink’s delivers stylish, and era fitting direction that imbues the sequences with the right, ’60s aesthetic of Star Trek: The Original Series or Doctor Who. The costuming is pitch-perfect with a B-movie edge, that helps us engage with the story within a story narrative.

But despite the filmmaking flourishes and abundance of style, the story doesn’t pick up until a dramatic, halfway point heel turn. It’s there where Terrestrial turns tragic. And, because of that, instantly improves. Because this isn’t a film about a creative who strikes big and the fallout as his friends grapple with his newfound success. Instead, it’s a film about the nightmarish drudgery of wanting to be a writer and either a. the harsh reality of how mundane it can be or, b. the desperation that sets it when you realize you’re dream might not align itself with your talents.

Jermaine Fowler is a superb in Terrestrial.

That sense of desperation feeds the film it’s anxiety-riddled back half. Diedrich and Johnson’s script is a wonderful minefield of unexpected outcomes and the domino effect of mindless violence. The film is unpredictable in just how dark it’s willing to go and the spaces of Alan’s psyche it’s willing to engage with. Fowler does a fantastic job at selling these competing parts of himself – the want for success, his desperation, and his need to be liked.

Despite the uptick in quality, the best parts of Terrestrial remain the technical aspects. From the sleek, lo-fi and grainy aesthetic, to the creature design, and the sci-fi inspired score from composer James McAlister, the film offers a lot of strong effects separate from the story itself.

It’s a well-made, well-shot film with a strong central performance and genuine stakes that are met with brutal efficiency. But the set up lags so much that by the time the spark is lit, it has to work double time to reengage with the audience.

Check Please played as part of the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.

Allyson Johnson

Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.