Netflix’s latest apocalyptic thriller Extinction is an imperfect but enjoyable movie that pairs well with a chill night at home and a cold beer. Here’s our review!

The movie was initially set for a January 2018 big-screen release by Universal Pictures. But, the film was inexplicably dropped from Universal’s schedule shortly before it was set to debut in theaters. Netflix soon added the alien invasion flick to their expanding arsenal of science-fiction offerings.

Extinction stars Michael Peña (Ant-Man) and Lizzy Caplan (Cloverfield) as Peter and Alice Herman, a couple living in the not-too-distant future. From an external viewpoint, they appear to be the “typical” nuclear family as they balance raising their two daughters with work responsibilities.

But, the movie quickly establishes that Peter is having a very abnormal experience. His uncontrollable visions of a devastating alien invasion are affecting his work performance and causing a rift in his family.

However, he refuses to believe that these premonitions are all “in his head.” Peter is soon proven right when a large-scale attack strikes and starts wiping out every living person.

The remainder of the movie focuses on Peter and Alice’s fight to get their children to a safe place.

Peter’s visions aside, the overall premise is your run-of-the-mill alien invasion starring a regular dude who suddenly turns into a knockoff Jason Statham. Viewers don’t get much time to become invested in Alice, the children, or anyone else except Peter.

And, the characters honestly aren’t given the material for a strong impression. Their dialogue is rather clunky and the actresses do the best they can with the little characterization they get in this movie.

One child refuses to listen and cries a lot, which is understandable in an alien invasion, and the other one swings between sulky and petrified pre-teen. Both of them could have been removed from this story and it wouldn’t have made too much of a difference.

Alice has some emotional complexity hidden beneath her stoic persona, which is seen when she protects her kids. But, she never gets a chance to be a fully realized character.

Her unique personality does make sense via a later reveal about her character. And, Mike Colter (Luke Cage) makes an appearance, but his character is severely underutilized despite having some major insight about the events taking place.

The action jumps off around the 20-minute mark but the invasion mayhem is not quite as effective as it might have been on the big screen. The dialogue is kinda clunky, but it gets mostly covered up in explosions, gunfire, and other intense moments. And, if you are drinking, it won’t matter anyway.

Observant viewers will raise an eyebrow to the aliens presented in the first half of the movie and likely deduce a portion of the mid-movie reveal. But, the remainder of the plot twist is likely to catch most people off guard and lead to a surprisingly intriguing third act.

There is some moral fluff intertwined with solid flashbacks and a revelation about Peter’s visions. The invasion and almost everyone in this movie are not quite what they seem and this world quickly expands in unexpected ways.

The ending leaves an open door for a sequel, which could be worth watching if the history behind this war is explored and the storyline/dialogue is tightened up.

Extinction certainly won’t win any “movie of the year” awards nor set a new standard in the alien invasion genre. The unexpected twists were great, but the buildup to it was underwhelming at best.

But, if you don’t have anything on your “must watch” schedule and you want some action, suspense, and a sci-fi flick that isn’t too deep, then Extinction is your movie. Enjoy it on a random night in with snacks and a beer – or five.

Extinction is on Netflix now.