Occupation: Rainfall (2020)

Occupation: Rainfall is the kind of scrappy, big-hearted sci-fi action movie that swings for blockbuster spectacle and, impressively, lands more often than you’d expect. Set amid a battered, occupied Australia, it has a bracing boots-on-the-ground urgency—explosions, desperate firefights, and a constant sense that the characters are one bad decision away from being wiped off the map. Luke Sparke’s direction leans into scale and momentum, pairing ambitious visual effects with sturdy, committed performances (Temuera Morrison brings a welcome gravity) that keep the chaos feeling human. If you need pristine polish or subtle, talky science fiction, this may not be your lane—but if you want an energetic, earnest resistance thriller with aliens, attitude, and a surprising amount of cinematic punch, it’s an easy yes.

Occupation: Rainfall is clearly aiming for a scrappy, boots-on-the-ground alien-war sequel with bigger stakes, more action, and an underdog Aussie flavor. The problem is the story lurches from set piece to set piece with a lot of cheesy dialogue and thin character work, so the “epic” moments often land with a thud rather than a punch. If you need tight plotting, believable performances, or a serious sci-fi tone, this will probably feel like enthusiastic cosplay with a budget rather than a truly gripping invasion thriller. That said, if you’re forgiving and mainly want some energetic shootouts, practical grit, and occasional effects-driven spectacle, it can still scratch the B-movie sci-fi itch.