In the 1978 remake of the 1956 classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers, what would Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, and Jeff Goldblum have done if they had cell phones and cameras recording everything that happened during the pod people’s overtaking of planet Earth? The 2019 clever young adult horror film Assimilate examines whether such marauding would take place with today’s technology at our disposal. It is a surprisingly taut and fun iteration of one of the genre’s most iconic entries and is currently streaming on Prime Video. The film benefits from the excellent chemistry of its three teenage leads, Zach (Joel Courtney), Randy (Calum Worthy), and Kayla (Andi Matichak), who endure the horrifying process of seeing their friends and loved ones become possessed by an alien lifeform. Director John Murlowski’s crisp pacing also makes Assimilate a thrilling ride and a creative version of one of horror’s most tried and true tropes.

What is ‘Assimilate’ About?

Zach and Randy are best friends living in a small town in Missouri. When they decide to collaborate on a video that they hope will go viral about what makes their home unique, they find out things are not what they seem in the sleepy, one-horse hamlet. What begins as a fun documentary slowly becomes footagechronicling an alien invasion that is starting to change the town’s people. Zach has a crush on the intelligent and athletic Kayla, who joins the duo in their documentary as they set out to determine what is happening and who is no longer the person they once were. The story gets darker and darker as the three young high school graduates discover that there is no one left to trust, and showing any emotion in the face of such terror can make you the next victim of an airborne spore that is making pods out of people.

The Fear of ‘Assimilate’ Comes From a Dreadful Reality
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Assimilate is both an unofficial remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and a worthy entry into the alien possession subgenre of horror films. It deftly capitalizes on what many consider a fate worse than death — the involuntary possession of the mind and body. When these local salt-of-the-earth people — including the town pastor, the local sheriff, and the teens’ families — become unfeeling zombies, it is much more traumatic than if these trusted and loved ones had died a quick and painless death.

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It’s a similar phenomenon to that seen in zombie, vampire, and werewolf movies or certain AI films, where the people who were integral to your upbringing and who you are as a person are now empty husks of what they once were. When a close family member like a parent or a guardian figure is no longer able to show the same kind of unconditional love and unwavering support, it’s far more terrifying than if that person were gone. It’s the same reason that undead walkers, killer kids, and robots continue to terrify us. A threatening force with no sense of human empathy or compassion is the most frightening thing in horror. They are a mindless part of a hive that will lack the ability to compromise or to be reasoned with.

‘Assimilate’ Also Adds This New Feature to the Fright
Image Via Image via Gravitas Ventures

Danny Boyle’s revolutionary 28 Days Later introduced a terrific new element to broader audiences and the horror genre in 2002 with the “faster” zombie. It became a far more dangerous and chilling predator that added to the tension and drama by reducing the amount of time it took to decide how to escape and survive. Assimilate also borrows that development to ratchet up the suspense and fear when Zach and Kayla are pursued with lightning-quick pod-people versions of themselves in the film’s final act.

This evolution of the mindless alien-inhabited human is another part of what makes Assimilate an underrated renewal of one of our favorite stories that seemingly gets retold every few decades. In a new era of advanced technology and social media, the long-living Invasion of the Body Snatchers story needs to be adequately updated alongside the digitally savvy audience. Assimilate is the most recent iteration, and it brings in more modern aspects of today, including social media like vlogs and found footage documentaries made famous in more recent films like The Blair Witch Project and other 21st-century fright fests. It also brings a younger generation of protagonists well-versed in the newest technology and how to use it to establish tone, properly tell a story, and advance the character arcs. Assimilate deserves a 90-minute time investment to keep the treasured and unique tale of hollowed-out and emotionless pod people going.

Assimilate Release Date May 24, 2019 Director John Murlowski Cast Cam Gigandet , Andi Matichak , Calum Worthy , Jessica Medina , Joel Courtney , Katherine McNamara , Mason McNulty , John Murlowski , Terry Dale Parks , Vito Viscuso , Kyler Porche , Cotton Yancey , Ryan Wiltshire , Christina Michelle Williams , Calvin Williams , Martin Sprock , Lindsey Reimann , Deanna Rashell , Stacy Stephen Purser , Hugh Daniel Porter , Allison Pittman , Jered Meeks , Shawn Steven Jones , Rhonda Jennings , Martin Ross Henne Runtime 93 minutes Writers Steven Palmer Peterson Expand

Assimilate is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

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