Review of They Live (1988) by Josh M — 30 Aug 2009

If the second half of They Live was even half as good as the first half, this would be one for the ages; as it is, it deserves its cult following, but not much more than that. It's really frustrating watching They Live slowly deflate to what could charitably be called an anticlimax, because the setup and first half (maybe the first hour) is so great.

I knew a lot about the film going in (like what exactly Piper sees through those glasses), but that didn't make the scene of revelation any less impressive - it's done so well, and with such a minimum of fanfare, that the impact really creeps up on you.

It's not just the style, either; it's the keen (and funny) social satire Carpenter is bringing to the table with his tale. Add to that an apparently apocalyptic cult, Piper going on a killing spree (of sorts) and that great alley fight, and you have all the ingredients for one of Carpenter's best films.

And then, it all; starts to fall apart. It's clear Carpenter didn't have much of an ending for the film, and try though he might to put it off, it has to end sometime. It's just a shame that it ends with such a whimper (and a lame joke), and that the film loses both its sense of fun and purpose as the end nears.

I'm glad I saw it, and I loved parts of it; as a whole, though, it's disappointing.