Spun off from a TV series that was itself inspired by a 1988 feature, this is a shrewd exploration of those pre-millennial anxieties that prompted so much doom-laden speculation in the late 1990s. Luckily, we didn't have to contend with a stolen Tenctonese relic that could open a portal to instant enlightenment. But that's the problem facing Earthling detective Gary Graham and his alien partner Eric Pierpoint, whose son Sean Six has joined a cult with a fanatical heretic for its leader. With decent effects and some challenging ideas, this will engage those who demand more from sci fi than escapism.

It's 1999, and as the end of the millenium approaches, people are attempting to find spiritual enlightenment. But a few people want to skip all the work that entails, and a holy Tenktonese relic in the hands of a heretic is giving them a shortcut. But it's not quite as easily controlled as she says.