On a desolate planet, two factions are at war with each other, but there is another menace out there tunneling beneath the ground. An 'autonomous mobile sword', or screamer, is an incredibly quick weapon named for its high-pitched shrieking, and which cuts its victims into pieces. It turns out, these weapons seem to be evolving on their own, and become capable of taking on new forms.<br /><br />Based on a Philip K. Dick novel (his works have also inspired the films "Blade Runner" and "Total Recall"), this is better than your run-of-the-mill, filmed-in-Canada B-movie. Slowly, deliberately paced, dialog heavy, subtle, and atmospheric, it's rewarding for those who stick with it. It looks quite impressive - special effects are excellent, rarely ever getting overtly cheesy - and the indoor / outdoor sets and location work are phenomenal. The snowy, windswept landscape is photographed quite well. Overall, it's quite a nice film to look at.<br /><br />Co-scripted by Dan O'Bannon of "Alien" fame, that gives it some extra punch, as he always tends to do quite well in the realm of science-fiction. The acting is good - Peter Weller is a stalwart, and refreshingly, not one-note, hero, and is supported capably by Roy Dupuis ("The Rocket"), Andy Lauer, and the lovely Jennifer Rubin ("A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors", "Bad Dreams"). Some of the characters are abrasive, although that thankfully never became too much of a distraction. The story twists are actually not ones that really surprised me, but I appreciated the story-telling in general.<br /><br />"Screamers" *is* a nice little surprise, worth looking into for science-fiction buffs who have yet to see it. It's bleak, chilly, interesting, and reasonably entertaining stuff. I recommend it.<br /><br />7/10