They Look Like People (2015)

They Look Like People is a moody, psychological thriller that riffs on a familiar premise - the idea that people are being replaced by some kind of alien or demonic body snatchers, and that a war for the human race is being waged in secret, that only a few chosen warriors are aware of. But don't expect an invasion epic - this is a very personal, claustrophobic film about people, not monsters, that explores the possibility of the more plausible cause of such a phenomenon - namely, insanity. It's a small, character-driven film, with few sets, and fewer characters, that begins when an anxiety-prone neurotic shows up and crashes at the apartment of an old, career-minded friend. What follows is a test of the man's sanity, in a slow and unsettling production, with a few genuinely terrifying sequences, that ultimately demonstrates how severe mental illness could, conceivably, cause an otherwise good person to be capable of committing atrocious acts. It's a wonder to me that this film has gotten some negative reviews, but it goes to show how much people's tastes vary. This is not a "boo!" scary, comfort-your-girlfriend kind of horror flick, but the sort that takes the time to subtly explore one man's waking nightmare, and in the process crawl up and nestle underneath your skin. In other words, a true horror film.