Terrestrial [Fantasia 2025 Review]

by Mike McGranaghan

Terrestrial broke my brain in the best possible way. The movie, which had its world premiere at Fantasia 2025, reinvents itself several times over the course of ninety minutes. Partway through, I realized that I had absolutely no clue where the story was going to end up, and that sensation was exhilarating.

The main character is Allen (Jermaine Fowler), an aspiring science-fiction writer obsessed with the work of his idol, S.J. Percell (Brendan Hunt). He’s invited three longtime friends – Maddie (Pauline Chalamet), Ryan (James Morosini), and Vic (Edy Modica) – to his mansion in the Hollywood Hills. Once there, he regales them with his extensive knowledge of Percell’s writing. That’s typical geek behavior. The others quickly notice that Allen is exhibiting a few behaviors that are not so easily explained away.

That’s roughly the first half-hour of the film. At this point, Terrestrial rewinds, going over some of the same events to fill us in on the specific reasons behind Allen’s actions. The plot suddenly spins from kooky comedy into a darker style of humor. I’ll just say that his desire to keep a secret from his friends leads to a series of questionable choices that make you giggle and tense up simultaneously. Then comes the final act, which detours into full-on horror in a manner you don’t expect.

Shifting tones is a tricky thing. Director Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine) navigates that minefield smoothly. Working from a clever script by Connor Diedrich and Samuel Johnson, he introduces the idea early on that Allen views his life as one of the sci-fi tales he’s so enraptured by. That touch adds a hint of mystery the back half of the picture can capitalize on. As a result, there’s a secondary theme here about what happens when we spend more time mentally living in a fantasy world than in the real one.

Jermaine Fowler gives a terrific, understated performance as Allen. He’s smart to be subtle because it emphasizes the character's lack of awareness about how deep he is digging his hole. As an added bonus, there are aliens, too. Or are there? Terrestrial is a funny, ghastly, and delightfully messed-up tale where professional and personal desperation collide catastrophically.

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