Space invaders

This very loose adaptation of H.G. Wells’ sci-fi classic War of the Worlds puts it in a modern setting and mostly keeps the alien threat out of sight, writes Emily Colston

A world apart from previous incarnations – from the infamous 1938 radio play to the 1995 Tom Cruise blockbuster – this new French-English version of War of the Worlds starring Gabriel Byrne (ZeroZeroZero) and Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey) takes a more subtle approach.

With its story set in modernday France and England (and featuring dialogue in both languages), this version

(not to be confused with the BBC’s recent Edwardian-set adaptation) seems to have taken the original as more of an inspiration than a prescription, and it’s all the better for it.

Léa Drucker leads the French cast, playing astronomer Catherine Durand.

“She’s a very smart woman, a little self-protective, quite mysterious, she’s a loner. She is passionate about discovering something extraordinary,” Drucker explains.

And “something extraordinary” is exactly what she finds – Durand is the one to raise the alarm after noticing a distant transmission that could only have come from aliens.

While the powers-that-be are still trying to figure out what to do about it, the largely unseen invaders make their move with an understated but devastating attack that leaves the streets strewn with bodies and pockets of survivors trying to figure out what the heck just happened. stranger experience, because your life has totally changed but outside it’s all very still and familiar.”

Drucker says it is this familiarity that helps this version connect with viewers.

“There’s something very universal in this story, something that I feel very concerned about. It’s not just a sci-fi.

“For example, the character of Karim, who is a migrant who are making it rough.

“The aliens are making us ask ourselves, ‘What are we as human beings?’.”

Drucker highlights the parallels between what has happened in our history – specifically the brutality of colonisation – and what is happening to the characters in the show.

“Those things are very real in our world and we are still living through those things and trying to repair those tragedies of history. Unless you really go through this, I’m not sure you can know what you will do.”

Nevertheless, this thoughtprovoking take on a classic will certainly leave you pondering what you might do if you found yourself faced with an alien invasion.

And given the events of 2020 so far, it may not be as fantastical or as far off as we’d thought.

Léa Drucker: The aliens are making us ask ourselves, ‘What are we as human beings?’

War of the Worlds, Thursday, 8.30pm,

SBS and SBS On Demand