Absurdity and Romance Shine in “The Becomers”

The Becomers (Zach Clark, 2023) 4 out of 5 stars

The Becomers is an absurdist tale of love and assimilation that defies common expectations and categorization. Writer/director Zach Clark (Little Sister) takes the familiar concept of extraterrestrials emigrating to Earth (à la District 9and Alien Nation) and adds intentional awkwardness and weirdness, to outstanding effect.The Becomers begins with the horrifying scenario of an alien visiting Earth in search of an unwilling human host. Unfortunately, the alien, named Francesca (Isabel Alamin), arrives on the planet during a tumultuous time, plagued by rising xenophobia and pandemics. With these growing anxieties, Francesca’s search for their long-lost love from their home planet becomes a lot more complicated.

Zach Clark approaches the thought-provoking idea of what our species must look like from the extraterrestrial perspective with a light hand. The film does not boast a high production value, yet its absurd and awkward tone is greatly elevated by those budgetary limitations. Viewers who give The Becomers a chance might find it tricky to get a full grasp of the film’s intentions, since the various tones can feel like you’re stuck in a revolving door gone berserk, but the intentional laughs land well and the absurd moments of body horror add an unexpected tinge of edge to this body-hopping romance.

Patrick Howard

Patrick Howard has been a cinephile since age seven. Alongside 10 years of experience in film analysis and criticism, he is a staunch supporter of all art forms and believes their influence and legacy over human culture is vital. Mr. Howard takes the time to write his own narrative stories when he can.