Signal One, on DVD

The alien dangers that emerge in this film are clearly informed by “The Dark Forest Hypothesis,” as popularized by Cixin Liu’s novel. However, the form of extraterrestrial life the characters encounter is radically different. Unfortunately, it, whatever it is, might not be the only alien lifeforms out there in director-screenwriter Jonathan Sobol’s Signal One, which releases tomorrow on DVD.

Sam Houston (not the President/Governor of Texas) is like a more Ted Talk-friendly Musk, who has a secret project up his sleeve. He recruits Annika Kask, because she developed an algorithm to detect dark matter. It sounds like his venture searches for aliens, but he assures her that isn’t the case, at least not as she conventionally understands aliens. Yet, it soon becomes clear he told superstar electrical engineer Charlie Kaminsky the exact opposite. Regardless, both Kask and Kaminsky immediately agree the project director, Perry Glassner is a bitter nihilistic drunk.

And yet, it seems Glassner has not only detected dark matter-based life. He has devised a method of sending crude messages. Kask, essentially agreeing with the Dark Forest hypothesis, advocates caution, but Glassner and Kaminsky charge ahead anyway. That turns out to be a mistake.

The repercussions of their message are globally catastrophic, but it is not necessarily the recipients’ fault. Either way, they revealed humanity’s existence to other potentially Dark Foresting aliens.

Frankly, considering how little publicity it generated in theaters, Signal One is a surprisingly smart film with an undeniably recognizable cast. That is indeed Dennis Quaid unleashing his charming blarney as fast-talking Houston. David Thewlis also hams it up entertainingly as bleary-eyed, crotchety Glassman. The casting was perfect, in both cases. Isabella Fuhrman (of the Orphan films) and Josh Hutcherson (from the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise) are also credibly engaging as the neurotic Kask and manically geeky Kaminsky.

Sobol manages to think big, while relying on “small” special effects. It all looks professional grade, but the ideas are more important than the visuals—which is a good thing. There is an overreliance on some sf cliches, including the resulting global panic and the Federal government’s ham-fisted response. Nevertheless, it successfully depicts a fresh take on first contact. There are some thematic similarities with Arrival, but it is still very much its own film. Recommended for its ambition and strong cast, Signal One releases tomorrow (8/11) on DVD.