Directed by Chris Gorak and Kunal Hashmi, and produced by Timur Bekmambetov, The Darkest Hour in 3D with a production budget of US$40 million tells the story of an alien invasion in what is basically a sci-fi horror genre.

Two young American software engineers Ben (Max Minghella) and Sean (Emile Hirsch) land in Moscow to settle a deal with investors but learn they have been cheated upon by their colleague Skyler (Joel Kinnaman). Depressed they hit a nightclub where they along with many others witness apparitions descending from the open sky which look pretty much like auroras.
During this ‘invasion’ as we learn later on, some of the lights break off, and when approached, they vapourise any human who happens to come in close contact with it. As more of the phenomena occur, it becomes clear that they camouflage aliens who are protected by force fields and so the attack starts.

Ben and Sean along with Russians Natalie (Olivia Thirlby) and Anne (Rachael Taylor) as well as Skyler seek cover and do not leave their place of hiding for several days, too frightened to venture out. Eventually, when they do, they step into a world that has come under full-scale attack by an alien life force whose powers defy logic—a stray barking at something invisible leads them to conclude that the aliens cannot be seen with the naked eye. But there is some releif at hand, for electrical devices seem to spring to life when any these being are nearby, and they learn to use light bulbs as alien detectors.

By now with civilisations across the world facing a full-scale invasion, all seems to be utterly and hopelessly lost. But then the survivors find themselves drawn towards a light emanating from a building and a Faraday cage that helps to keep the aliens at bay. There is also as a prototype microwave device that helps the humans in their fight against the aliens. The party joins forces with the Russian militia who has successfully managed to counter the alien threat with ammunition, and who believes the invasion has taken place to strip mine Earth for the alien’s need for metal. They improvise on the microwave device to bring forth a modified combat weapon.

Armed with this knowledge, the guys somehow manage to make their way to a submarine and get ready to share their knowledge with the entire world, while at the same time learning that people in Paris have destroyed an alien mining tower there. Out of the bleakness of the past events, the future now looks hopeful for the entire human race.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the film-makers’ efforts as The Darkest Hour has received grim reviews worldwide for being unconvincing and with characters that just do not come to life be what may. The film’s only saving grace is that it is in 3D and that tantamounts a watch by young film-goers. How long the charm lasts is difficult to say given its flat storyline. The film stars Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella, Olivia Thirlby, Joel Kinnaman, Joshua Seth and Rachael Taylor.