UFO: It Is Here is a 2016 foreign-language found footage film truly brings the scares and really delivers in suspense and creepy atmosphere.
UFO: It Is Here centers around five film students who are filming a documentary about a local zoo for one of their projects when they see a strange shape in the sky that seems to crash down somewhere nearby. Thinking that it’s a meteor and that it would make a much better subject for their project than the local zoo, they decide to head off in the direction that they saw it last. When they get to the site, they realize that there’s something off. It doesn’t look like it was a meteor site; there’s metal debris and it seems like some kind of spacecraft may have crash landed. Not knowing what they’ve stumbled upon, they decide to sleep in their van and then take some footage the next morning when they will be able to better see what they’re dealing with. Unfortunately, during the night, one of them goes missing, leaving a trail of blood behind. What exactly crashed out in the woods?
The found footage genre has been done to death but the direction that this movie takes is quite unique and it really makes this movie interesting. The found footage aspect adds to the overall atmosphere for this movie, making the stakes seem higher and the fear more visceral. The only thing I will say against it is that the footage was very shaky. There were some really clever ways that the movie played with the footage (humidity fogging the lens, not being able to focus on the background, and the shaky cam) but the shaky cam did get a little over the top at times, so much so that I couldn’t really tell what was going on.
That being said, this movie is definitely worth the watch for fans of the genre. The alien aspect was very well done and brought some new elements to the table and the script was well written. The best thing about this movie really has to be the cast though. The five young actors in this film were believable and likable, I was really rooting for them throughout and they didn’t stumble into the silly mistakes that so many characters do in horror movies. All the choices seemed logical and the actors portrayed themselves really well.
Overall, this is a great indie horror movie and it shouldn’t be missed. The fresh take on the alien genre and the visceral atmosphere that only comes from found footage films abounds here. If you’re looking for something to watch before Halloween comes and goes that will scare, look no further.