Emma Stone and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos are back with another hit. The two collaborators, who previously worked together on The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness, now present Bugonia, an absurdist, alien-conspiracy black comedy. The film, which also stars Jesse Plemons and Alicia Silverstone, is an American adaptation of the 2003 South Korean sci-fi gem, Save the Green Planet!, and has been received extremely well by critics. It currently has an admirable 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
In Bugonia, Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons), a conspiracy-loving beekeeper, convinces himself that Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of pharmaceutical giant Auxolith, is secretly an alien from the Andromeda species and plans to destroy Earth. Unwilling to let that happen, he kidnaps her with the help of his neurodivergent cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) and shaves her head to prevent her from contacting her “mothership.” How far will the doubting game go?
The film is currently in theaters, but be sure to check out these other gripping alien conspiracy movies soon after you watch it.
‘The Vast of Night’ (2019)
This groundbreaking movie portrays the plight of teenage switchboard operator Fay Crocker (Sierra McCormick) and radio DJ Everett Sloan (Jake Horowitz) after they notice a strange audio frequency that keeps interrupting calls and broadcasts. It’s the 1950s in New Mexico, and local testimonies about UFO sightings have added to the curiosity of the two colleagues. As they investigate, they find themselves in an abandoned field on the town’s outskirts where otherworldly events seem to be occurring. Have aliens really landed in The Vast of Night?
Bad Signal or Something Bigger?
Loosely based on the Kecksburg UFO incident and Foss Lake disappearances, The Vast of Night keeps audiences guessing for a long time, and therein lies its brilliance. Thanks to Andrew Patterson’s expert direction (in his debut), each of the two central characters in this powerful, labyrinthine, and perceptive picture is subtly drawn, with their personal and collective experiences evoking the complex dilemmas that are likely to confront anyone whenever they face a major challenge. Regardless of Fay and Everett’s individual quagmires, they share the need to make sense of whatever’s happening.
‘Communion’ (1989)
New York–based horror author Whitley Strieber strongly believes he had alien encounters, and he abhors anyone who doubts his account. He wrote about his experiences in a book, which he later adapted into the movie Communion, with the help of director Philippe Mora. In the film, Strieber (portrayed by Christopher Walken) becomes plagued with alien visions and makes major readjustments in his life, straining his marriage. He decides to seek therapy, but the situation gets worse.
Sticking to His Story
A bizarre plot doesn’t prevent Christopher Walken from giving one of his best performances. Strieber’s account might seem far-fetched, but the film is enjoyable. Even with the requisite dose of family drama and sentimentality, Communion never strays far from its central premise — that aliens rarely come in peace, and even if they don’t physically harm you, they mess you up mentally forever. Overall, this is a proper character piece, something Strieber wanted. He chose to produce the film independently, afraid that a major studio would turn his story into a special effects-heavy horror film.
Could Robert Zemeckis ever top Back to the Future? Contact was a great attempt at that. The film is about SETI scientist, Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), who finds solid proof pointing to the existence of extraterrestrial life and is selected to make the first contact. Unfortunately, obstacles emerge, ranging from bureaucracy to religious fanatics afraid that any confirmation would make the world doubt the existence of God. What will the vicissitudes eventually look like?
A Tougher Mission Than Assumed
Contact might not be the popcorn kind, as is the case with many other ‘90s alien movies (or even Zemeckis’ other movies), but it has a very suspenseful first act and a thought-provoking finale. It also pits science against religion in an intellectually satisfactory manner. Beyond that, Zemeckis takes astronomy concepts very seriously here. To ensure authenticity, he shot part of the film at Very Large Array (VLA), the centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory near Socorro, New Mexico. Around 25 CNN news reporters were also cast in cameo roles, adding an extra dose of realism.
‘The Forgotten’ (2004)
Propelled by grief, doubt, and suspicion, The Forgotten introduces us to Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore), a mother who is struggling to get over the death of her nine-year-old son in a plane crash. When all evidence of his existence — photos, videos, and documents — mysteriously vanishes, she teams up with her neighbor, Ash Correll (Dominic West), whose daughter died in the same crash, to uncover the truth. Things get more suspicious when NSA agents start pursuing them, and one of them gets sucked into the sky after being captured and interrogated by the two..
Mental Breakdown Vs. Genuine Concerns
The dialogue in The Forgotten is detailed, smart, and hits home. Julian Moore is incredible as always, and Dominic West keeps conveying a variety of emotions, leaving us to wonder about whose side he is really on. Though not nominated for any major awards, this bittersweet sci-fi psychological thriller might just be what you need, especially if you enjoyed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The X-Files. But be warned. It’s anything but heartwarming. Director Joseph Ruben is so keen on making us sad that he even includes the topic of miscarriage.
‘The Signal’ (2014)
The Signal tracks three college students — Nic (Brenton Thwaites), Jonah (Beau Knapp), and Haley (Olivia Cooke) — as they head on a cross-country road trip. Along the way, they get taunted by NOMAD, a mysterious hacker who has been targeting them for weeks. Fed up, they follow his signal to the Nevada desert, eager to put an end to the menace, only to be trapped in a high-tech research facility that is, ostensibly, a hub for extraterrestrial activity.
Welcome to Area 51
Superior for its edgy dialogue, twist and jumpy, sinister atmosphere, William Eubank’s mind-bending thriller boasts an ingenious plot device and great performances from a thin cast of less than 10. Laurence Fishburne, solid as ever, anchors the alien mystery as a scientist who keeps confusing the protagonists, while remaining sly, stern, and superbly loathsome throughout the proceedings. Crammed with detail, The Signal also calls for the utmost concentration, so hide your phone in the meantime.
‘Fire in the Sky’ (1993)
Based on the alleged real-life alien abduction of American forestry worker, Travis Walton, Fire in the Sky follows a group of Arizona loggers, led by Travis (D.B. Sweeney), who spot a UFO. When Travis approaches, he is sucked aboard and vanishes. His coworkers become suspects in his disappearance, ruining their reputations. Five days later, Travis returns with a strange story. Understandably, no one believes him.
What Do They Want from Timberman?
Apart from the main cast, Fire in the Sky features fine support from an alluring Kathleen Wilhoite and James Garner, who’s both chilling and charming as a doubtful, gun-toting lawman. Indeed, Walton’s tale is hard to believe. Even director Robert Lieberman claimed that the subject of his movie was cappin.’ But kudos to him for coming up with an interesting picture that received four Saturn Award nominations. According to scriptwriter Tracy Tormé, executives found Walton’s account boring, so they asked Liberman to exercise more creative liberties.
‘Annihilation’ (2018)
Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s book of the same name and partly inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, “The Colour Out of Space,” Annihilation involves the mystery surrounding a mysterious land known as “The Shimmer,” where the laws of nature seem distorted, following a meteor landing. Cellular biology professor Lena (Natalie Portman) is thus tasked with leading an all-female crew to investigate. Well… Danger!
An Ecological Nightmare
Alex Garland’s ultra-hard-boiled sci-fi horror is savage and unstinting in its view of various parties, some squarely on the side of logic and others skeptical, locked in a deadly battle of wills that may ultimately destroy them all. Portman is hardly repellent as the hero who tries to make sure everything goes wrong, but she is likable. Her character is no Ellen Ripley, but she is impressively stoic, even while in the middle of some of the film’s most gruesome plot points.
‘They Live’ (1988)
While roaming through Los Angeles, They Live’s Nada (Roddy Piper), bumps into a group of conspiracy theorists who are trying to put the screws to the government to no avail. They believe aliens have infiltrated the ruling class. The protagonist gets curious, and his investigative efforts soon yield a clue about a society’s ignominious current state. He accidentally gets his hand on a special set of sunglasses, which indeed allow him to see the aliens in their ghoulish, bug-eyed form rather than their human façade. What’s he gonna do about it?
Something’s Up with the Leaders
Craving an alien movie that isn’t just about conspiracies but also delivers proper 80s-style action? Settle for John Carpenter’s They Live, which sure makes for a bracing night on the couch. One five-and-a-half-minute alley fight over a pair of special sunglasses will leave you mindblown. Apart from Piper, Keith David is solid playing the protagonist’s coworker. Carpenter reportedly wrote the role of Frank specifically for David. Beyond that, the film is raw and expertly stylized by the legendary director’s brilliant use of sound, light, and slanted angles,
‘The X-Files: Fight the Future’ (1998)
Set between Season 5 (episode “The End”) and Season 5 (episode “The Beginning”) of the hit show, The X-Files: Fight the Future, finds agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigating a bomb threat against a federal building and the destruction of criminal evidence. Though they anticipate the wilder, rougher ways of the world of terrorism, they get more than they bargained for, uncovering what appears to be a major government conspiracy aimed at hiding the truth about an extraterrestrial colonization of Earth.
As Impressive as the Series, But Grander in Scale
The movie is aptly named, since everything about this sci-fi thriller points to doom — including the sound and the breathtaking panoramas. The two-hour gem initially feels a trifle leisurely, but we soon meet rough-hewn characters and get pulled into the strangest scenarios. While everything is happening, The X-Files: Fight the Future offers plentiful doses of suspense, twists, and high emotion. Even better, you don’t need to be familiar with the show’s settings and larger plots to enjoy what’s happening here. This is as independent as offshoot movies get.
‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ (1977)
A series of events early in Close Encounters of the Third Kind suggests the existence of aliens. A French scientist returns after a long disappearance, and two planes almost collide with what looks like a UFO. Everyone takes the situation more seriously when electrical lineman Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) sees a UFO grabbing three people as he is fixing a power grid. Are these really aliens, and what do they want?
Speilberg’s Greatest Movie?
Winner of Best Cinematography at the Oscars, Close Encounters is one of the most beautiful movies you’ll ever see. We expect nothing less from Spielberg. The 4K remaster, released in 2017, is even prettier. Performance-wise, a stolid Richard Dreyfuss carries the picture throughout, but the supporting cast members shouldn’t be allowed to leave without praise. Also, look for Carl Weathers in a minor role as a military officer.
