The Invasion

In the midst of a typical Washington D.C. summer evening, a sense of chaos begins to unfold as the fabric of society starts to unravel. Car trouble plagues commuters stuck in traffic, frantic hospital wards are flooded with patients mysteriously succumbing to illness, and individuals witnessing inexplicable acts of savagery are bewildered and shell-shocked. Amidst this unfolding nightmare, Washington D.C. psychologist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) stumbles upon a sinister force silently suffusing the nation's capital, and she's determined to uncover the source and stop it before it's too late. Carol's journey into the heart of this unexplained crisis begins with a fortuitous encounter with her colleague, Dr. Ben Driscoll (Owen McDonnell), a medical professional equally perplexed by the bizarre outbreak. As the two set out to unravel the epidemic's origins, a former client, Harv (Danny Huston), unwittingly becomes their first - albeit temporary - collaborator, after accidentally exposing Carol and Ben to a disease-ridden atmosphere. The unsettling truth about this new menace dawns on the duo as Harv begins to undergo an unearthly metamorphosis during his purported recuperation. Overnight, the astounded professionals bear witness to an insidious alteration: an unsettling loss of feeling and humanity creep over Harv while he sleeps, rapidly transfiguring him into an emotionless drone. It's clear that something deceptively pervasive has been introduced into the atmosphere, only to be unleashed not at dawn, but in the most secretive hours of the night. Carol and Ben make an invaluable discovery about this zombie-like invasion: it begins with infection not through direct physical contact, but through indirect and previously unsuspected paths. They identify an alien virus from a crashed space shuttle that contains a virus capable of subverting Carol's new patient into an emotionless being during slumber. Finding the only safe haven from the chaos, a storage unit out in Chicago, turns out a fateful moment of pause. It gives Carol the time to learn everything there is to know about the mysterious agent's behavior, in the hopes of applying the knowledge to save those around her. Carol's newfound knowledge forms a resolve to find and protect her precariously unknowing 4-year-old son, Oliver. As terrifying as it may seem, the mother becomes convinced that the innocence of a small child might possess a unique resistance to the highly contagious and unpredictable alien virus infecting the world. In an emotional and desperation-filled attempt to shield her child from the unfolding cataclysm, she resolves to be reunited with Oliver before the potentially contagious atmosphere spreads unimpeded. Carol's frantic search and her bid to clear her son's neighborhood, from the unseen hazard of alien-originated biological contagion, initiate a selfless quest anchored by an all-consuming parental love. Her efforts not only put a substantial strain on the society succumbing to the widespread malady but also a personal strain on her own emotional wellbeing. Without the support of her partner, a medical practitioner also fighting against this onslaught, Carol puts everything at stake. She not only stands against crushing social unrest but must also fend for the life and safety of her child through an increasingly chaotic environment. Carol's fight becomes an overwhelming struggle for survival as she scrambles in an atmosphere suffused by madness, the absence of companions and an escalating loss of hope. Filled with hope and foreboding, her thoughts resound when speaking to the enigmatic local bus driver. In addition to grappling with the overwhelming human cost and desperation-driven situation unfolding before our very eyes, this courageous mother must navigate each obstacle thrown in her path by a universe bent on erasing any light of sense and spirit. It's in these final, heart-wrenching moments where Carol confronts the prospect of her tragic fate alongside unimaginable despair. Her one and only reprieve: saving the life of her adorable child. Understanding all about her child's presence being critical to the containment and ultimately defeating the viral attack, this emotional, resourceful hero chooses not to let darkness engulf the city of her precious Oliver.