IMDb RATING
6.4/10
9.8K
YOUR RATING
Suddenly, desert ants form a group intelligence and wage war on the humans. It's up to a couple of scientists and a girl to stop themSuddenly, desert ants form a group intelligence and wage war on the humans. It's up to a couple of scientists and a girl to stop themSuddenly, desert ants form a group intelligence and wage war on the humans. It's up to a couple of scientists and a girl to stop them
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
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- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to actor Michael Murphy, director Saul Bass was very worried about British actress Lynne Frederick being able to sound suitably American for the film, since her character was supposed to be from Arizona. Bass made her run her lines over and over while he listened for any hint of a British accent.
- GoofsThe ant-queens seen are actually a species of wasps. This choice has been most probably made as to not seriously disturb several ant-states. However, ant-queens shed their wings when going into pregnancy and developing the huge white abdomen.
- Quotes
[last lines]
James R. Lesko: [voiceover] We knew then, that we were being changed... and made part of their world. We didn't know for what purpose... but we knew, we would be told.
- Crazy creditsThe title is not revealed until the end credits. It is divided into segments "Phase I," Phase II," and "Phase III," and only at the very end when Phase IV is reached is the title ever given.
- Alternate versionsThe French TV release is cut, the close-up on the scientist being devoured by ants is missing.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Phase IV (1989)
Featured review
Harrowing, hallucinatory and altogether fascinating
While it's true that "Phase IV" is rather slow moving in spots, and that the human characters are ciphers with no real depth to speak of, "Phase IV" is a nice sally at an experimental science fiction film that emphasizes mood and dread over action and character development.
I had the good fortune to watch this on a really large flat screen TV, and the amazing insect photography (major kudos to the editor who managed to integrate it so completely into the story!) and dissonant synthesizer laden sound track come through nicely with good viewing equipment - they add the proper utterly alien and inhuman feel to the movie and turn something pretty good into something really creep and spooky.
Although the characters are admittedly pretty flat, that's undoubtedly on purpose. "Phase IV" is all about the subjection of the human characters to the overwhelming power of a hive mind where "personality" is besides the point. Even so, Nigel Davenport brings the good stuff to his role as the biologist trying to contain the ants, and you both know everything you need to know and everything you'll ever know about in the first five minutes...without ever knowing him at all.
An ambiguous and otherworldly/mystical ending might not sit well with a lot of viewers who like their science fiction movies to wrap things up by the end. And, OK, the goofy little montage at the end with the mathematician and the gamin doesn't really match the quality of the hallucinatory insect footage that preceded it.
Still, Saul Bass knew how to present an otherworldly, truly alien experience, but he was probably just too far ahead of his time.
A classic of sorts.
I had the good fortune to watch this on a really large flat screen TV, and the amazing insect photography (major kudos to the editor who managed to integrate it so completely into the story!) and dissonant synthesizer laden sound track come through nicely with good viewing equipment - they add the proper utterly alien and inhuman feel to the movie and turn something pretty good into something really creep and spooky.
Although the characters are admittedly pretty flat, that's undoubtedly on purpose. "Phase IV" is all about the subjection of the human characters to the overwhelming power of a hive mind where "personality" is besides the point. Even so, Nigel Davenport brings the good stuff to his role as the biologist trying to contain the ants, and you both know everything you need to know and everything you'll ever know about in the first five minutes...without ever knowing him at all.
An ambiguous and otherworldly/mystical ending might not sit well with a lot of viewers who like their science fiction movies to wrap things up by the end. And, OK, the goofy little montage at the end with the mathematician and the gamin doesn't really match the quality of the hallucinatory insect footage that preceded it.
Still, Saul Bass knew how to present an otherworldly, truly alien experience, but he was probably just too far ahead of his time.
A classic of sorts.
helpful•191
- lemon_magic
- Aug 7, 2013
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