If you’re a fan of throwback sci-fi action loaded with practical effects, military mayhem, and just the right amount of nostalgic camp, Osiris might be your next guilty pleasure. Recently released in theaters and on VOD, the film is helmed by director William Kaufman, known for his love of gritty gunfights and unapologetic B-movie energy. This time, Kaufman drops a battle-hardened Special Forces unit into the heart of an alien survival nightmare—and even throws in sci-fi royalty Linda Hamilton for good measure.
The story wastes no time getting weird. Led by Max Martini’s no-nonsense character Kelly, the soldiers are knee-deep in a boilerplate mission when they’re suddenly abducted by an unidentified craft. Before they know it, they wake up confused in sci-fi pod stasis on a dark, strange ship, with their guns being conveniently loaded. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out they’re not prisoners—they’re prey. The alien enemies are wonderfully retro: part Xenomorph, part Venom cosplay, with just a dash of 1950s creature feature. Forgive the lack of slick CGI—these creatures are outright guy-in-a-suit throwbacks, and that’s half the fun.
The movie soon turns into survival mode. The vessel is a maze of eerie passageways, biometric problems, and volatile dangers. The commandos meet Ravi (played by Brianna Hildebrand), a solitary sniper who’s been evading aliens for decades, and soon come across Anya (Linda Hamilton), a tough survivor who’s made the vessel her hunting ground. Hamilton’s stint is short and sweet but not forgettable—more cameo with a feature than starring role—but her Sarah Connor-scented tough-guy personality finds its way into her Osiris without squinting. According to one review by The Guardian, she’s a game late-stage highlight, but firmly in that “and Linda Hamilton” ticket category.
While Osiris takes clear genre inspiration from classics such as Alien, Predator, and Doom, it doesn’t necessarily mix them as much. The opening scenes are loaded with military clichés and generic dialogue, and feel more like something found in a mid-2000s DVD bin than a 2025 release. Nevertheless, when the horror-sci-fi cocktail starts kicking in, it hits its stride, providing gruesome action and close-quarters tension on a budget that overachieves. The creepy design of the ship, with its spindly corridors and amber-lit ductwork, is arresting to look at, albeit one that starts to get tired.
The critics have not been shy about the weaker moments of the film. Toisto. Net-type reviews have panned the slow pacing, long scenes, and script full of exposition. The characters remain, for the most part, familiar archetypes, and the story will not likely catch anyone off guard. But what Osiris may lose in refinement, it more than compensates for in earnestness. It has a certain ruggedness to its delivery, thanks to the practical effects, energetic cast, and the simple enjoyment of seeing retro-style alien carnage transpire.
Ultimately, Osiris isn’t trying to reinvent sci-fi. It’s a love letter to a specific kind of movie—one you’d rent on a whim at Blockbuster and end up watching three times. It knows exactly what it is and embraces the cheese with confidence. If that sounds like your kind of night in, fire it up, sit back, and enjoy watching Linda Hamilton kick alien ass once again.