Max Martini, LaMonica Garrett and Michael Irby Discuss Escapist Sci-Fi Film Osiris

Max Martini, LaMonica Garrett and Michael Irby discussed Osiris, a taut sci-fi actioner in which Special Forces commandos wake on an alien spacecraft and realize they are being hunted by a merciless nonhuman enemy. In a wide-ranging conversation published by Peter Gray on Feb 1, 2026, the cast framed the film as a return to practical-effects-driven spectacle and a rare example of old-school escapist action in today’s marketplace - “We don’t really get these movies anymore.”

In William Kaufman’s Osiris, Awards Buzz notes, a group of Special Forces commandos are engaged in combat when they suddenly awaken somewhere else, unsure how they arrived. As the characters discover the enemy is not human, they must figure out how to fight their way out and survive. The film brings Linda Hamilton back into the center of a genre she helped shape, and Vertical Entertainment is attached in distribution materials promoted alongside interviews and clips.

The actors leaned into practical effects and military authenticity as core selling points for the film. Michael Irby recalled the tactile terror and craft of classic creature cinema: “I mean, Jaws…I couldn’t take a bath for two months (laughs). I was afraid of the bathroom. It was incredible. And talk about practical! I think they would have ruined that movie now with CGI, and the fact that they had an actual (shark) and the animatronics and everything.” That praise for hands-on filmmaking was echoed across the conversation, with the trio saying practical effects enhanced the believability of their performances and the stakes of close-quarters combat scenes.

Max Martini tied those influences to his own cinematic origins, citing formative Spielberg films and the way movies can pull a viewer into another world: “For me, I remember watching movies as a kid that were impactful for me that drive me into a space. And not knowing that I wanted to be an actor, but they were movies that made me want to be an observer into this world. Ironically, they’re all Spielberg movies. Like, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., even Schindler’s List.” Martini also called Osiris “an action-packed, testosterone-driven film,” summing up its kinetic, physical focus.

The AU Review interviewer asked a core acting challenge posed by the film: “Your characters here are these hardened soldiers who are dropped into an environment where it feels like their training isn’t enough. How did you approach playing soldiers that are at the top of their game, but ultimately outmatched by something beyond human?” The cast’s answer emphasized tactical realism and respect for military craft, a throughline Awards Buzz highlighted when assessing how the film measures up to cinematic examples of military authenticity.

For Slamball readers, the film’s hard-contact choreography, emphasis on verticality and preference for practical stunt work will resonate. The same instincts that make a Slamball rebound or alley-oop compelling - commitment to physical risk, timing and spatial awareness - show up on the Osiris set in stunts and effects that favor real-world impact over polish. Awards Buzz states “Osiris is now playing in theaters and on digital,” and social promotion points to availability as well, noting it is “in theaters and on digital today” and that it “will be streaming on all platforms July 25th” in a social post whose year was not specified. The interviews by Peter Gray and Abe Friedtanzer offer further detail on craft and influences for fans who want to see how action filmmaking and athlete-like performance cross over into genre cinema.