Spoiler Alert
Straatcoaches vs Aliens (American title: Straight Outta Space) is a Dutch entry in the rarely explored subgenre of urban sci-fi survival—and it surprisingly fits the mold. In 1982, something extraterrestrial crash-landed into a tar pit and attacked a construction worker before the Schijndrecht apartment complex and neighbourhood were fully built. Although no investigation followed, this vague, Thing‑like prologue sets the stage for a film that, while chaotic, plays as a sincere homage to broader genre traditions.
According to IMDb, the script has an unusually large roster of writers—Daan Bakker, Nico van den Brink, Paul de Vrijer, Ashar Medina, Fadua El Akchaoui, and Michael Middelkoop, who also directs. Middelkoop aims for an absurdist tone reminiscent of Ghostbusters and Evil Dead, but it doesn’t always land. Uneven pacing and tonal shifts get in the way—especially since the film never fully explains how the alien’s vomit zombifies people.
That said, the transformations tap into classic tropes more often seen in zombie films than alien invasion stories. Infiltration, paranoia, and identity breakdown via alien infection recall John Carpenter’s The Thing. At the same time, the premise also brings to mind The Faculty (1998), where a slug-like threat slowly overtakes a high school. As in that film, possession can be messy or grotesque, but here the transitions are kept simple—likely a budget-conscious choice that keeps the effects from spiralling out of control.
A mild spoiler: the creature has a body that needs to be freed. Each cell is part of a greater whole, and when the pavement trapping its true form cracked, it leaked out extensions of itself to explore. When we finally see its full form, I couldn’t help but think of a rubber chicken (without giving away the actual design). This absurdity works in the film’s favour, matched by enjoyably bizarre imagery. Amin (Shahine El-Hamus) brings real energy to the screen, though his buddy Mitchell (Daniël Kolf) leaves less of an impression.
As more locals get slimed, they remain technically self-aware but lose much of their individuality—a clever reflection of how the neighbourhood reacts to the invasion. Unfortunately, the plot never expands in the way a strong Doctor Who episode might, where alien visitors seek a leader to negotiate with rather than squabble over who should speak for them.
The government’s grimly appropriate solution—bomb the neighbourhood—feels believable, yet the absence of any genuine attempt at communication stands out. Cliché or not, a “Take me to your leader” moment could have given more weight to the revelations from alien-possessed characters. With more time for exposition and world-building, the premise might have thrived as a limited TV series.
It’s clear these aliens operate on a logic far removed from human norms, but the film never digs into their motives. That’s a missed opportunity, especially when the larger theme is gentrification and the question of who belongs in a neighbourhood is front and center—perhaps even aliens.
The result is a film with flashes of inspired fun and moments that leave you scratching your head. Straatcoaches vs Aliens is not a perfect film, caught between being an absurd cartoon and delivering social commentary. The finale sees one character leaving the group to preserve the peace, but what the movie really needed was a clearer focus to make its ideas resonate.
3 Stars out of 5
Straatcoaches vs Aliens Trailer
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