A cheerfully macabre comedy of misunderstandings, lies and delusion, “Terrestrial” teases with the promise of science-fiction — nevertheless it seems the type of fantasy at work right here is much less about outer house than the inside house of frantic reality-denial. An auspicious first produced screenplay for the duo of Samuel Johnson and Connor Dietrich, this Fantasia premiere additionally affords director Steve Pink his greatest characteristic so far, one whose tonal finesse is a substantial leap from his studio comedy “Sizzling Tub Time Machine” (and its sequel). Whereas the shortage of main marquee names would possibly restrict preliminary publicity, the mingled style parts, subversive humor and genuinely intelligent, unpredictable narrative ought to accrue the indie manufacturing an enthusiastic cult following.

It opens with cornball footage of a retro house opera, circa the Nineties, displaying protagonists on one other planet after surviving some laser shootout. It seems this adaptation of “The Neptune Cycle” is enjoying — maybe watched by a bug-eyed alien — on a TV monitor in a home likewise affected by blood trails and useless our bodies. 

In the meantime, a carful of erstwhile faculty buddies are on their option to go to Allen (Jermaine Fowler), whose current incommunicado stretch has them nervous. However by all appearances he’s struck the jackpot, purportedly having bought publishing and film rights on his fantasy fiction collection for a fortune. He’s now dwelling in a grandiose gated mansion within the Los Angeles hills, one notably decked out with pricy mementos from the multimedia profession of “Neptune” creator SJ Purcell — in Allen’s estimation “the best writer within the historical past of science-fiction.” 

His outdated buddies are duly impressed. However bubbly blonde Maddie (Pauline Chalamet), her smirking boyfriend Ryan (James Morosini) and obnoxiously brash Vic (Edy Modica) aren’t simply right here to congratulate however to make a tacit wellness evaluation, on the behest of Allen’s mom. And his erratic habits does recommend one thing is flawed—a suspicion seized on by the brazenly aggressive Ryan, who fears his outdated rival for Maddie’s affections has surpassed him in different realms. As these company poke round, alternately herded and deserted by their host, another person turns up, performing very a lot at residence. “Who the hell are you?,” that arrival asks Allen.

At this level, half an hour in, a title informs us it’s now “3 Months Earlier,” and our hero resides way more humbly. Actually, he’s a cook dinner at a diner, sleeping in his automobile, fielding publishers’ rejection letters. He’s thrilled when an unbelievable buyer takes a sales space: None aside from the prolific Purcell (Brendan Hunt). That is clearly Allen’s large probability… by no means thoughts that his idol provides each indication of being an conceited jerk, or that he’s right here to see a mortgage shark’s enforcer (Rob Yang) about some relatively critical money owed owed. It doesn’t matter what, Allen can not let this heaven-sent alternative cross him by.

To disclose extra would spoil an excessive amount of in Johnson and Diedrich’s intricate screenplay. Their difficult construction frequently recalibrates our understanding of what we’ve already seen, largely by replaying it from different viewpoints. Whereas an enormous image regularly grows clear for the viewers, that courtesy shouldn’t be prolonged to the characters onscreen (finally additionally together with figures performed by Max Kalvan and Gable Swanlund). Misled by Allen’s mechanizations and their very own particular person assumptions, they arrive at false conclusions that show extraordinarily hazardous. 

An more and more black comedy of errors, “Terrestrial” ends in a massacre whose merciless injustice will get leavened by the truth that no one right here is de facto very sympathetic. Certainly, we’re by no means fairly certain why the unique quartet have been buddies within the first place. However cruelly unjust as their destiny could also be, they really do deserve one another in a way.

The movie can also be stored from being too coldly ingenious by Pink’s dealing with, which nimbly juggles quite a few tonal and content material ranges. There’s Gen Z social satire, with all our fundamental protagonists continuously irking each other of their separate self-absorptions; the style camp of the ersatz “Neptune” sequences, populated by humorous acquainted faces like Craig Robinson and Rob Corddry; a type of Previous Darkish Home homicide thriller taste to the mansion goings-on Allen’s ever-escalating panic at piling one fib atop one other to save lots of face; the fantasy sci-fi world he yearns to flee into; and nonetheless extra. There’s quite a bit happening right here, unfolding in a trend that can ship some viewers again for seconds or thirds, simply to higher respect how adroitly all of the transferring elements work collectively. 

The performers are equally deft, towing a line between naturalism and farcical one-dimensionality. Good-looking main places and cinematographer Tom Hernquist’s smooth widescreen compositions present helpful distinction to the baroque storytelling, as otherwise does James McAlister’s pulsing digital rating. Paced to an unhurried but waste-free perfection by editor Neal Wynne, “Terrestrial” is a modest enterprise so cannily dealt with, it performs out like a shock package deal of droll delights.