The Darkest Hour (12A)

Starring: Rachael Taylor, Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby

Pass the ray-gun and set for eliminate. Despite Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch) on board as producer, this sci-fi thriller goes from forgettable to barely forgivable in record time.

Two internet entrepreneurs (Emile Hirsch and Max Minghella) arrive in Moscow to close a business deal only to find that their middleman has ripped them off. Later the pair encounter two babe tourists (Olivia Thirlby and Rachael Taylor) at a cool nightclub, but before they can say "make mine a Babycham" the place is besieged by fireballs from outer space. The gimmick is that the alien invaders are invisible, which saves on the effects budget but may leave an audience feeling undersold. It's not the only thing that's invisible under Chris Gorak's direction – suspense, wit, intelligence and a halfway-decent script are nowhere to be seen, either.