Kids vs. Aliens, on Shudder

1980s kids were uniquely qualified to fight alien invaders. They were well-versed in geek culture, but were also self-motivated and self-reliant. The notion of “safe spaces” would be as foreign to them as little green men. That will be just as well for teenaged Samantha and her little brother Gary, because the invaders make the spaces of their small Canadian town decidedly unsafe in Jason Eisener’s Kids vs. Aliens, which premieres tomorrow on Shudder.

Samantha is an underappreciated big sister, both by her bratty little brother and their frequently absent parents. Being a good sport, she often performs in his science fiction-wrestling home movies, even though she yearns to hang with the cool kids. She thinks she will finally get her wish when Billy, the popular “bad boy,” starts paying her attention. Unfortunately, he shows his true jerky colors when he turns the small Halloween party she agreed to host into a massive blowout. Then the aliens attack.

K vs. A is not explicitly set in the 1980s, but it definitely has an analogue look and texture. Gary and his friends shoot their movies on VHS and the film itself has a retro style similar to Eisener’s over-hyped Hobo with a Shotgun.  Obviously, every pitch for this film included generous use off the words “Stranger Things.” Yet, K vs. A also has a surprising (and not in a good way) mean streak, not unlike Hobo. It is not quite as brutal as the neo-exploitation “spoof,” but it still is not nearly as much fun as it should have been.