Cosmic Sin (2021)

1/2 Star (out of 4)

'Sin' Against Humanity

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

It may not be the worst sci-fi movie ever made, but it's not too far away, either. This alien-attack movie is both confusing and simplistic, both cluttered and empty, and almost entirely clueless.

It's the year 2524. A couple living alone at a remote mining outpost are startled by the appearance of aliens. They report this first contact to The Alliance, the military organization in charge of Earth, and — after determining that the aliens are hostile, with the ability to take over human bodies — decide to launch an attack.

In charge is General Ryle (Frank Grillo), but for the plan to work, they must call in the retired Ford (Bruce Willis), who has experience with the infamous weapon known as the "Q-Bomb." Do the risks of setting off the bomb outweigh the alien threat to humanity?

The biggest sin committed by Cosmic Sin occurs right away. First, we get an onslaught of onscreen exposition, trying to explain what has happened to humanity over 500 years. But then the year 2524 looks pretty much the same as today, including the same haircuts and beards, clothing, cars, dive bars, guns that shoot bullets, and even the same expressions ("hurry up and wait"). It's difficult not to be distracted by the movie's total lack of futuristic wonder.

Before we even see any aliens, the humans start shooting at them, and despite some dialogue about moral dilemmas, the movie has none. It's ultimately all about "us vs. them." Moreover, the movie tries to shoehorn in some bonus character traits (a general and his relationship with his gung-ho son, Willis's relationship with an ex-partner, etc.), but these feel both rushed and phony.

The visual FX, especially an outer-space battle, barely rise to the quality of a 1980s video game. And Willis turns in another in a series of recent drowsy, lifeless performances. Finally, Cosmic Sin comes down mainly to lots of incomprehensible shootouts inside nondescript buildings.