Nerdly » ‘Osiris’ VOD Review

30th Jul2025

‘Osiris’ VOD Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Linda Hamilton, Max Martini, Brianna Hildebrand, Linds Edwards, LaMonica Garrett | Written by William Kaufman, Paul Reichelt | Directed by William Kaufman

William Kaufman’s Osiris crashes into the sci-fi scene with all the subtlety of a frag grenade, and that’s largely its appeal. Blending high-concept alien horror with lowbrow action sensibilities, this lean, mean genre machine doesn’t pretend to be profound. It simply wants to entertain. And on that front, Osiris delivers in spades, even if the script occasionally trips over its own logic.

The film kicks off with a military skirmish in a vaguely Middle Eastern setting, where a squad of commandos, led by the gruff but reliable Max Martini, finds itself abruptly abducted during combat. They awaken aboard an alien spacecraft, where they’re being transported as biological trophies – soon-to-be snacks for a monstrous alien race. Teaming up with fellow abductees, including Linda Hamilton and Brianna Hildebrand playing hardened Russian assets, the ragtag group must navigate the labyrinthine alien vessel and fight their way to survival.

Visually, Osiris punches above its weight. Despite not being a big-budget studio tentpole, its production design is surprisingly polished. The alien ship, clearly shot in an industrial location retrofitted with sci-fi trimmings, feels gritty and lived-in. Debris litters the floors, tools and remnants scatter the walls, and the lighting casts the kind of stark atmosphere that evokes old-school first-person shooters. It’s a far cry from the sterile futurism often found in lower-tier sci-fi.

Where the film really shines is in its relentless pacing. Action is nearly nonstop, with a barrage of firefights, alien ambushes, and practical creature effects that make the monsters both terrifying and tangible. These aliens, grotesque hybrids that are equal parts ridiculous and menacing. While they sport high-tech laser weaponry and shields, they behave more like wild animals than an interstellar civilisation, one of the film’s many inconsistencies.

The mythology is intriguing, if underdeveloped. A NASA probe intended as a peace offering becomes a galactic dinner bell, and we’re told time behaves differently aboard the ship, allowing some prisoners to survive for years without ageing. These threads could have added rich complexity, but they’re introduced briefly before being overshadowed by gunfire and explosions.

As for performances, no one is breaking new ground here, but everyone plays their part. Martini stays firmly in his military wheelhouse, while Hamilton brings gravitas to her supporting role despite limited screen time. Hildebrand adds a bit of youthful edge, but her character is never explored beyond surface level. The acting is serviceable—delivered in broad, macho strokes that suit the film’s tone.

The flaws are noticeable: infinite ammo, bafflingly dumb aliens, questionable internal logic (like throwing grenades inside a spaceship without worrying about depressurisation), and conveniences that paper over script holes. But nitpicking Osiris too hard is missing the point. This is a popcorn flick dressed in sci-fi armour, not a cerebral space opera.

In the end, Osiris is derivative, borrowing liberally from Predator, Aliens, and the Riddick series, but it’s self-aware enough to stay fun. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it spins it fast enough to keep the ride exciting.