Phase IV (1974) is the kind of film that feels like it was made for an entirely different, far more ambitious movie that never quite materialized. Directed by Saul Bass—known for his iconic graphic design work, but here making his one and only feature film—Phase IV starts with a fascinating premise, but ends up suffocating under its own weight of confused ideas, slow pacing, and a narrative that struggles to find its footing. Despite some stylish visuals and an intriguing concept, the movie ultimately fails to live up to its potential, leaving the viewer more puzzled than thrilled.
The film’s plot, inspired by H.G. Wells’s Empire of the Ants, presents an apocalyptic scenario where ants evolve rapidly after a cosmic event, developing a hive mind and becoming a serious threat to humanity. Scientists James R. Lesko (Michael Murphy) and Ernest D. Hubbs (Nigel Davenport) are placed in a high-tech lab to monitor this phenomenon in the Arizona desert. What follows is an excruciatingly slow battle between humans and ants, as the tiny invaders begin to infiltrate the scientists’ technology and send increasingly ominous messages. Unfortunately, the ants’ menace is undermined by the film’s sluggish pacing and heavy-handed dialogue, which never really allows any genuine sense of danger to materialize.
For a movie about rapidly evolving ants, Phase IV offers surprisingly little in terms of actual thrills or excitement. Instead, the focus seems to be on the internal struggles of the human characters, especially the divided relationship between Lesko, the optimistic scientist who wants to communicate with the ants, and Hubbs, the more traditional-minded scientist who wants to wipe them out. While these two characters should drive the story, their conflicts never feel compelling enough to carry the weight of the plot. Michael Murphy and Nigel Davenport deliver forgettable performances that lack the urgency required for a film about an insect apocalypse. The film’s protagonist, Kendra Eldridge (Lynne Frederick), is a passive bystander who is more a plot device than an active character, further diminishing any potential emotional investment.
The pacing in Phase IV is an outright slog. The film spends an inordinate amount of time on long, drawn-out sequences of scientists staring at ants, making vague observations, and sitting in sterile, silent labs. You’d think that the looming threat of an insect uprising would fuel some urgency, but instead, it’s as if the film is actively working against its own premise. The ants themselves, which should be menacing, are mostly depicted as passive agents of chaos—whenever they do something noteworthy, it’s either anticlimactic or never fully explored. A concept like ants developing a cross-species hive mind and using geometric towers to communicate should be fascinating, but it is presented so dryly that it barely registers as a threat.
The visual style is the film’s strongest element, as one would expect from a director known for his graphic design background. The ants, their architecture, and the geometric patterns they create are visually striking and imaginative. However, these visuals ultimately serve more as an aesthetic exercise rather than an effective horror tool. The film’s surreal atmosphere is more disorienting than atmospheric, and what could have been an engrossing psychological horror about nature’s rebellion against mankind ends up being a series of unremarkable set pieces and static shots that feel more like an art installation than a thrilling story.
Even when the action does finally pick up in the final act, it’s too little, too late. The climax, which involves a hunt to destroy the ant queen, feels more like a forced conclusion than a satisfying resolution. The finale—where the human protagonists realize that the ants are not merely trying to destroy humanity but rather adapt it to become part of their world—arrives with such a lack of emotional payoff that it feels like a cheap twist designed to justify the entire film’s slow burn. The film ends in a voiceover that leaves the fate of the humans uncertain, but by that point, the audience is more likely to feel a sense of relief that it’s finally over than any lingering curiosity about the ants’ master plan.
Phase IV also has the misfortune of trying to blend elements of science fiction and horror, but it fails to fully commit to either genre. The film isn’t scary enough to be a true horror film, nor is it intellectually stimulating enough to be a solid piece of science fiction. The philosophical musings about human beings’ place in the natural world never reach a depth that would make the film more than a curiosity piece for genre fans. And the scientific jargon and attempts at intellectual discussions only serve to weigh down a film that desperately needs more urgency and excitement.
It’s easy to see why Phase IV has achieved cult status over the years, especially with its somewhat surreal, artistic visuals and concept, but in terms of actual enjoyment, it’s a frustrating watch. The film is more pretentious than profound, and while it doesn’t lack ambition, it simply doesn’t deliver on its promise. Fans of classic insect horror films like Them!(1954) or The Naked Jungle (1954) may find something to appreciate here, but even they will likely struggle to overlook the sluggish pacing and lackluster execution.
In conclusion, Phase IV is a film that teases big ideas but fails to ever fully realize them. It’s a slow, somewhat bewildering film that never quite hits the mark in terms of horror or sci-fi. It’s visually interesting at times but lacks the substance to keep you engaged. Watching it feels like an exercise in patience, and by the end, you’ll be left wondering if those ants really did have a master plan—or if they were just the latest victims of an ill-conceived film.
