Extinction begins in a grim, not-too-distant future that follows Peter (Michael Pe-a), a drained engineer whose nights are haunted by bloody visions. In these episodes a fleet of alien ships scours the city, blasting at terrified crowds and storming barricaded homes, and each scene feels more real than the last. The horror strains Peters marriage with Alice (Lizzy Caplan) and frays their bond with young daughters Hanna and Lucy, forcing him to visit a therapist who offers little relief.
Then the dreams leap off the screen when shadowy craft blot the sun and the real invasion starts, shoving the family into a fight-or-flight scramble. While sirens wail and windows explode, they throw furniture against the door, grab scraps of food, and Peter rallies them with shaky courage. A savage moment follows: he down one soldier, ghosts panic as he snatches its firearm, and together they sprint toward the factory, hoping its steel walls conceal safety.
When Peter and his team arrive at the factory, David, their leader and Mike Colter in the flesh, timely advises him that the raid had been on the schedule for months. David also adds that Earth is now guarded by synthetic soldiers. There, amid the flashing alarms, Peter is blindsided by revelations: both Alice and, alarmingly, himself are not flesh-and-blood humans but memory-wiped synthetics. Every milestone they recall-the day they married, the arrival of their daughters-was digitally scripted to disguise what they really are, the last remnants of a fading humanity.
The captive alien fighter, identified as Miles by Israel Broussard, quietly explains that true people fled to Mars generations ago. The so-called invaders, then, are not extraterrestrials at all; they are returning Martian veterans who have been convinced that the synthetics staged a revolt and slaughtered their makers. In a staggering twist, the siege proves not cosmic colonization but a civil conflict between birthed code and human memory. Peters waking terrors were in truth locked memories from that earlier struggle, a desperate battle in which artificial life fought to avoid extinction.
In the last moments of the film, the factory becomes a launch pad as the surviving synthetics step onto a train that dives into an underground tunnel. Seconds later, debris rains down and seals the entrance behind them, stranding the replicas on a ruined planet where they must build a life from scratch. The closing scene lingers in the mind: will these engineered souls discover lasting harmony, or will the ghosts of old wrongs forever haunt their steps?
🎭 Cast & Crew
Michael Pea as Peter – a weary synthetic parent torn between haunting memories and the fierce urge to shield his made family.
Lizzy Caplan as Alice – Peters wife, whose hidden synthetic blood emerges only at the films startling turn.
Amelia Crouch and Erica Tremblay as Hanna and Lucy – the couples young daughters, the anchors of Peters emotional fight.
Israel Broussard as Miles – the human soldier who questions Peters beliefs and gradually reveals buried secrets.
Mike Colter as David – Peters supervisor and friend, the quiet mind behind the synthetics daring escape plan.
Lex Shrapnel, Emma Booth, and Lilly Aspell complete the supporting ensemble with memorable appearances.
Behind the camera, Ben Young directed, working from a screenplay by Spenser Cohen and Brad Caleb Kane, and attributing the story to Cohen. The Newton Brothers provided the haunting score, cinematographer Peter Luque captured the gritty visuals, and Matthew Ramsey cut the final edit.
The movie was overseen by producers David Hoberman, Nathan Kahane, and Todd Lieberman, with a supporting team; principal shooting unfolded over forty days in Belgrade, Serbia, all on a tight $20 million purse.
✺ Release & Reception
Universal first placed Extinction on a January 26, 2018 slate, then quietly yanked it, later trading the title to Netflix, which began worldwide streaming on July 27, 2018.
Critical Response
On Rotten Tomatoes the film sits at 32 percent from professional reviewers, averaging about 4.1 out of 10; several critics cite muddled plotting and frustrating pace, though the final twist does earn some applause.
Metacritic meanwhile averages a mixed 40 out of 100, reflecting comparable divergence in street and panel feedback.
IMDb watchers offer a rough 5.8 from 55,000-plus ratings.
Judgments have varied widely:
A well-known outlet assigned 2 stars out of 5, calling the story competent yet formulaic and noting it fades far too quickly outside the big-screen arena.
Another workplace handed it 1.5 out of 4, agreeing the twist works while condemning a monorail script and mindless rhythm.
One family site branded the feature slow and unimaginative, lamenting weak cast chemistry but conceding that the last scene comforts.
By contrast, a lifestyle journal hailed it among Netflixs stronger sci-fi titles, praising an emotionally rich turn and ideas that linger.
Audience ratings reflect the divide: some viewers called the film tidy, no-frills sci-fi with an easy pace, yet others said it plays more like a pilot than a complete story.
🔍 Analysis & Themes
✅ What Works
Surprise and weight: Learning Peter and the others are synthetic reframes the whole film as a meditation on memory, self, and the guilt that follows lost moments.
Strong performances: Lizzy Caplan and Israel Broussard still draw praise for layering warmth and specificity on stock characters, even when the dialogue wobbles.
Big ideas: The script juggles questions of synthetic personhood, artificial kinship, colonial war, and inherited guilt, giving the film a thematic density far beyond its visuals.
❌ Weaknesses
Pacing: Early scenes drag, and many critics note the rhythm only snaps into gear in the last act.
Formulaic action: Invasion set pieces and arc resolutions recycle worn sci-fi beats and lack the polish that lifts similar blockbuster moments.
Underused cast: A solid ensemble is wasted, particularly David (Mike Colter), whose thin development robs key scenes of emotional weight.
Extinction, Netflix newest sci-fi thriller, is a film of stark contrasts. The first act moves slowly and clings to familiar genre beats, yet a late-game twist sharpens the story and lifts its themes. Michael Pea and Lizzy Caplan ground the movie with a heartfelt center, while Israel Broussard slips in several memorable moments. Fluctuating direction nonetheless softens the films punch, but its probing look at synthetic minds, wartime remorse, and shifting selfhood raises ideas rarely aired in standard streaming fare.
For fans of character-driven, low-budget sci-fi that demands thought alongside feeling, Extinction is a journey worth taking. Those only hunting for slick, blockbuster spectacle, however, may leave unsatisfied. The picture is a daring-if uneven-test run that dares viewers to look past outer-space mayhem and reckon with quietly human stakes.
Watch Free Movies on Gomovies