Occupation: Rainfall, an Australian Space War film, follows a resistance group fighting an alien invasion hell-bent on eradicating humanity from the planet. The film, written by Luke Sparke, gives a “major” Star Wars vibe. However, irrespective of its grand endeavors, the film fails to make an impact. It captures the disparities between alien and human colonies and attempts to promote harmony, but its journey fails to elicit the necessary emotions.
Occupation: Rainfall is a direct sequel to the 2018 Australian sci-fi film, Occupation. The premise follows the hunt for a secret project named Rainfall that can change the fate of war.
‘Occupation: Rainfall’ Plot Summary
Set in an unknown future, Occupation: Rainfall begins with a central character voice-over. Amelia, a human from planet Earth, informs us about the alien mother ship that arrived two years ago, out of nowhere. It sent thousands of unmanned drones to exterminate humanity from the face of Earth. But a handful of people stood up against the invasion to end the war. In their pursuit, the resistance group even gained the support of an allied alien group called the Greys.
The film begins as the elite resistance forces attack an alien colony in Western Sydney commanded by Wing Commander Hayes (Daniel Gillies). During the counterattack, the resistance army faces a lethal alien soldier called Kali.
In the other part of the city, a human peacemaker, Amelia Chambers (Jet Tranter), meets a fugitive group of Greys (aliens) and brings them to the Resistance HQ. In exchange, Gary the Alien provides them with intel about the elite alien forces, Kali, the protectors of the Elders. He also informs them about a secret project, Rainfall.
The resistance group and the alien fugitives reach the underground HQ. However, the disparities between the two communities result in a subtle conflict between them. Commander Hayes proposes an immediate evacuation as the Grey forces approach closer. However, the Rainfall project’s discussions limit any hasty decisions.
Captain Wessex reveals that Rainfall was the code name for Pine Gap, an American base in Central Australia. If the Kali aliens are here for Rainfall, there must be something important hidden in the American base.
Hayes commands his loyal soldiers, Matt Simmons (Dan Ewing) and Gary, the Alien, to infiltrate Pine Gap and learn more about the project’s Rainfall. While the resistance group prepares for a final evacuation to a secure military command in the Blue Mountains.
Major Spoilers Ahead
What was Project Rainfall?
After facing a series of deadly attacks, Matt Simmons, Gary, Amelia’s younger brother, Marcus, an old friend of Simmons, Peter Bartlett, and his daughter Isabella finally reached Pine Gap. At the American Surveillance Base, the team met American operative Bud Miller and his alien companion, Steve.
Bud Miller showed the group a large meteorite and explained it was discovered in 1966 embedded in the seafloor. For some reason, the scientists shipped it to the Pine Gap. The team deciphered that it was the same meteorite that helped wipe out the dinosaurs. The Grey Aliens shot it from their world to set a planet up and wipe out their population. This was Project Rainfall.
After the Grey planet was destroyed, the aliens looked for a new surface to call home. Searching through the galaxy, they arrived on Earth that favored their survival. Maybe they tried to habit the planet when dinosaurs walked on the surface and thus sent the meteorite to wipe them out. However, when they arrived 2 years ago from a galaxy far away, the humans thrived on the planet and colonized it.
The aliens wanted to take back their meteorite and reshoot it towards Earth to terminate humanity and colonize the planet.
‘Occupation: Rainfall’ Ending Explained
While Matt and his team went out to Pine Gap to look for Project Rainfall, Amelia and Abraham reached military command with Greys’ women and children. At the command base, Amelia suspected Commander Hayes’ intention after all the Grey Alien went missing. She investigated the facility and found out that Hayes had been torturing and experimenting on the aliens to create a bioweapon to wipe them out.
Amelia revealed Hayes’ secret slaughter and argued that his alien bioweapon would kill their allied alien group. However, it was all Hayes wanted, to wipe them all out of the planet. After Hayes’ intention was made public, Abraham relieved Hayes of his command and took charge of the facility. But at the exact moment, the aliens attacked their secret base.
Captain Wessex and the Australian pilots tried to resist the attacks while others prepared for an immediate evacuation. The Alien leader called Amelia and Abraham for a peace treaty but killed Abraham brutally. Amelia managed to run.
In Pine Gap, Matt and his company decided to explode the meteorite to never be used. However, accidentally, Gary the Alien activated the meteorite that revealed its position to the aliens. Gary told them that he was a Kali soldier too, but he believed in peace instead of bloodshed. Before the company could explore the meteorite, Kali soldiers attacked the base, and an alien ship pulled up the meteorite and carried it away. Along with their weapon, they also took Matt, Gary, Marcus, and Isabella hostage. Their fate would be followed further in Chapter 2 of Operation Rainfall.
In the Blue Mountains, the aliens destroyed the facility. Amelia confronted Hayes and suffocated him with his own bioweapon. After Hayes died, Captain Wessex took command and initiated the immediate evacuation. Amelia took humans and aliens and left the base before the aliens torched it to pieces. Amelia also took the bioweapon cylinders that resistance might use in the upcoming chapters.
The convoy reached Peter Bartlett’s village to take shelter. From their new base, they would probably initiate a new strategy to safeguard the planet from Project Rainfall and save Matt, Gary, Marcus, and Isabella from Alien’s captivity.
Occupation: Rainfall is a 2020 Space Science Fiction film written and directed by Luke Sparke.
