Review of The Andromeda Strain (1971) by Keenan S — 06 Apr 2018

The Andromeda Strain is one of the most underrated sci-fi films ever made and one of my personal favorites of the genre. In Piedmont, New Mexico, a satellite crashes in the town. The satellite is collected by the local townspeople who make the mistake of opening it up, releasing an unknown contagion that kills all but two people (A 69-year-old drunkard and a 6-month-old baby) and a couple of soldiers sent in to collect the satellite.

Upon discovering this event, four scientists specially selected by the government to handle mysterious outbreaks are uprooted from their personal lives and brought on to investigate what hell kind of outbreak has occurred - first by exploring the town, and then being brought to the secret facility known as Wildfire.

Together, these four scientists must work frantically to solve the mystery and save the fate of the world itself. For many people, The Andromeda Strain will be too slow, as it is more focused on dialogue and actual scientific research, than it is about action sequences.

For me, however, I found it to be a gripping and harrowing film that left me curious to figure out the mystery. That's not to say that the film is entirely devoid of tension, as it certainly has its moments, particularly during the intense climax.

If you enjoy thoughtful sci-fi films with a slow pace, this might be right up your alley. I found it to be one of the best science-fiction films I've ever seen.