To survive a world affected by pollution, global warming, sociopolitical turmoil, and economic disparity, all we need is each other. We all need a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold tightly in the time of danger. But what if our very known faces become strangers, devoid of emotions, feelings, and expressions? What if we cannot trust humans anymore as they have “ceased to be humans?” Life will be pretty miserable, right, in that kind of situation? Well, a 2007 sci-fi thriller, “The Invasion,” directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, depicts a similar situation featuring a world ridden by paranoia and an alien organism that affects humanity. Let’s explore the world of “The Invasion” and discover how humanity was ultimately saved from this threat.
Starring some of the A-listers of Hollywood – Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig – “The Invasion” (2007) is an adaptation of a famous sci-fi novel, “The Body Snatcher,” written by Jack Finney. The film has the potential to be one of the greatest sci-fi thrillers of all time, but it has severe flaws throughout. At some points, the transitioning techniques in the film seemed very forced and unnecessary. The screenwriting is strictly average, even though it’s supposed to be the film’s backbone. The story seems very intriguing at the beginning, but by the end of the movie, it tries to blend into the crowd of ordinary sci-fi thrillers. The long car-chase sequence might give you an adrenaline rush, but that doesn’t do justice to the entire story.
The Invasion (2007) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) is a psychiatrist and a divorced/single mother. Her little son Oliver and her job are Carol’s utmost priorities. But their tranquil life is interrupted by a space shuttle tragedy that brings an alien epidemic to Earth. The wreckage of a space shuttle called Patriot enters Earth and leaves its debris from Dallas to Washington. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) arrives shortly after, led by Chief Tucker Kaufman, to investigate the alien substance found on the debris. Unfortunately, the alien microorganism (a spore) affects Tucker first-hand.
Can Carol Bennell Save Her Son From an Alien Invasion?
Tucker Kaufman, Carol Bennell’s ex-husband, returns to his house and has a full REM sleep, during which the spore takes control of his body. The following day, Tucker becomes a changed person, devoid of emotions and expressions. He calls Carol Bennell and demands to spend some time with his son Oliver, but it doesn’t seem right to Bennell at all. As time progresses, we see Bennell’s friend, Dr Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig), upon whom she relies. Taking some advice from Ben, she agrees to send Oliver to his dad’s house.
However, it doesn’t take much time for her to understand that the world and the people surrounding her are changing. Everyone seems emotionless, strange, and nonhuman-like, from her clients to the neighborhood kids. Carol’s suspicion rises as she gets her hands on a piece of skin (which looks like a scale). She sends it to a lab. Driscoll’s friend, Dr. Galeano, informs her that this alien spore is affecting human beings and changing them into an utterly unknowable person with no feelings or emotions. Carol realizes that her ex-husband, Tucker, has also been affected by this spore, meaning that her son, Oliver, is in grave danger.
The Spore Explained: How Does it Affect the Human Body and Mind?
The alien spore isn’t given any specific name in this film, but in the novel “The Body Snatcher,” it is known as a “pod.” Due to the space shuttle disaster in the movie, this microscopic alien spore enters our Earth. It’s implied that a terrorist organization caused the space shuttle disaster and suggested a specific adversary country of America. However, the details of any geopolitical conflict are not directly or explicitly discussed in the film; they are only hinted at.
The alien spore originated in outer space from an unknown source but is highly infectious. This spore can be contaminated through any kind of body fluid exchange. Following the contamination, the spore waits for the host to take a complete REM nap when it starts functioning on the host’s biological system. It takes utter control of the body and the mind and removes any kind of emotion from it. While the host sleeps, the spore covers the body with a fungus-like leathery layer. After the sleep is complete, the host is under the control of the alien spore.
Not only that, but this alien spore also affects people, making them collectively conscious of its presence. This spore is an unbreakable and powerful organism that remains unaffected in severe cold or heat. It can manipulate an entire nation, turning it against humanity. That’s why, after the invasion, it directs the host to contaminate other people and completely eradicate the existence of emotions and thought processes of humanity. Following the invasion, Tucker Kaufman, the CDC chief, becomes a mere puppet of this spore. He chose to inoculate people with this microorganism to remove any sign of emotion in a human being altogether. However, the brilliant and sensible woman, Carol Bennell, chooses to go against it. No matter how difficult her path becomes, she remains focused on her mission to save her son from Tucker. Ben and Stephen Galeano join her in her mission and acquire crucial information about this organism.
Why is Oliver Immune to the Spore?
Tucker Kaufman had been trying to inoculate his son Oliver by mixing his body fluid into Oliver’s hot chocolate. Oliver spends a few days at his father’s house. He has that chocolate quite a few times and even has had REM sleep, but he doesn’t get infected. Later, when Carol and Driscoll are on the run, trying to protect themselves from these human-looking zombies, they discover crucial information.
One of Carol’s patients, Wendy, remains unaffected by the spore even after her husband has had it. As Ben and Carol manage to find out Wendy’s medical history, they realize that she was previously affected by Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM). ADEM is an autoimmune disease that already affected Wendy’s immune system, which this alien spore couldn’t fight. That’s why Wendy became immune to the spore. However, she didn’t survive because, in this world of infected people, there is no place for someone immune.
However, this piece of information came to be very useful to Carol, as she knows her son Oliver also suffers from ADEM, which has been causing him nightmares for the past few days. Carol feels relieved knowing her son is safe and unaffected by the spore. But she still can’t trust Tucker, who is not Ollie’s father anymore but a monstrous host of a harmful spore. So Carol realizes that her mission to save her son is still on. Subsequently, Ben assures her everything will be fine.
The Invasion (2007) Movie Ending Explained:
Is This a Warning About Alien Spores or Authoritarian Regimes?
The film is not entirely and only about this alien spore causing a worldwide epidemic. The core theme of this film is very political and mainly about the existential crisis of humanity. This alien spore is not a mere microorganism in this film but a symbol of authoritarian government that robs a man of his freedom and individuality. It symbolizes the control and oppression of humanity. The world-building and characters in this story represent a sense of paranoia even amid the loved ones. Oliver cannot trust his father, while similarly, the citizens of America cannot trust their government. The film was also released in post-9/11 America, so the tension and paranoia are brilliantly depicted through the characters’ performances in this film.
The loss of individuality and isolated characters like Carol Bennel and Oliver showcase the ongoing existential crises of humanity. In one of the crucial scenes of this film, where Ben takes Carol on a date to introduce her to his friends, a Russian Ambassador, Yorish, has already brought up this lingering concern. Even though Carol, a post-modern feminist, gave a befitting answer, Yorish’s statement isn’t completely indisputable. When Carol finally realizes the threat, and it is almost a point of no return, Yorish’s statement rings a bell. Carol is fighting to protect her son in a world where she is all alone amid some humans who are no longer human beings. But there comes the resilience and strength in Carol’s mind to fight this adversity. She decides that no matter what happens, she will not fall asleep.
Can Humanity Recover From Trauma and Prepare for the Unknown?
Ben initially helps her escape and reach out to her son, but unfortunately, he gets infected by the spore. On the other hand, Carol manages to save her son from Tucker’s mother’s house and takes him to a pharmacy where she can be protected from those infected people. But Ben gets her. He had already been infected and posed a threat to Carol, who couldn’t even shoot him to death because of their romantic history.
But naturally, she will go to any extent to protect her son. So she shoots Ben in the leg and runs away from the pharmacy, taking her son with her. Even though the infected people try to attack Carol, she manages to get in contact with Stephen, who is already coming on her way by helicopter. Stephen, backed by an army, comes to protect Carol and Oliver, who could be the only way to eradicate this infectious spore. As Carol finally manages to get onto the helicopter, she has a huge burden left off her shoulders.
Within a few years, the situation is under control. The scientists utilize Oliver’s immunity to treat his medical condition of ADEM. They develop a specific vaccination using the spore that has caused the medical condition. This newly invented vaccine becomes a strong weapon against the alien spore, and soon enough, its distribution begins worldwide. The people infected by the spore are cured, as we see Ben Driscoll returning to health at the film’s conclusion. However, the side effect of this newfound immunity is the memory loss. So, those who are cured of the infection have no recollection of the previous events.
The neighborhood child, Zene, who had been badly infected with the spore, is also cured. However, his parents didn’t survive, so he became a part of Carol’s family. But Carol, even after normalcy is restored, can’t shake off the trauma she had to go through in that time of epidemic. Yorish’s controversial opinion still lingers, as she fears something bigger could happen like this again.
There’s a high potential for an event like this to happen in the future because that’s the absurdity of life. There might be something very dangerous that can cause fatal damage to humanity in the future. It might exist in fiction or perhaps in reality. We had no idea about the COVID-19 virus before 2020, so humanity will always be at risk, but hope, unity, love, and sacrifice are the best weapons we can use against this threat. Despite the lack of serious effort, ” The Invasion ” tries its best to convey that trouble will persist, but we cannot lose hope.
