I just watched this absolute gem on Amazon Prime. The trailer promised a film that hearkened back to the awe, wonder and terror of films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Signs... and not only did it deliver, but it gave me goosebumps and tears of wonderment! This is a film that really can't be discussed in full detail, as it will spoil the surprises the movie has to offer. Let's just say that it starts off in the Spielberg/Shyamalan arena and ventures into Nolan territory by the end...
I was blown away by the score by David Stone Hamilton. I'm not familiar with his work; this is the first score I've heard by him. It echoes the cyclical piano patterns of James Newton Howard's SIGNS and the other-worldliness of Alan Silvestri's THE ABYSS, but it is definitely distinctive in it's own right. The 'big finale' as heard in Track 15 Transcience is easily one of the most powerful and emotionally moving finale's I've heard in a long time. And we even get a proper end credits montage!
I cannot recommend this underrated gem of a film and score enough! While the trailer is effective, it doesn't really do justice for the entire film. This is so much more than "UFO horror" as it's crassly labelled. Two thumbs way up, and the score is available on Spotify.
*Interesting fact... in an interview, director Carl Strathie said that he wrote the script while listening to Zimmer's Interstellar score.
