In space, no one can smell your fear. Except in the 2013 film After Earth, where the entire premise rests on the idea that a specific race of aliens can sense human fear, and thus dominate us unless we suppress our emotions. In 2013, the Will Smith-led sci-fi movie, which was directed by M. Night Shyamalan and just hit Netflix, opened to reviews that threw “worst sci-fi movie” ever made around a lot. With a meager 12 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is After Earth worth your time? Yes! 10 years later, this flop is worth another look for two reasons: it’s the rare Shyamalan movie lacking a twist, and it’s a non-franchise sci-fi movie containing a few decent ideas that could have been thrilling in an alternate dimension.
