Xenophobia is a 2019 sci-fi film about six complete strangers recalling the details of their individual experiences with alien forces.
No matter how seriously any movie chooses to tackle alien abduction, it’s a little hard to get on board, the idea of little green men from outer space coming all this way to probe our squishy orifices cleanly dividing those who have any interest. You’re either in a small population of people who firmly believe this is a real thing that happens (and probably have stories of your own misadventures with curious bug-eyed monsters) or, like most of us, are on the side of skepticism and think the whole is hokum. Either way, there have been plenty of big and little screen stories of menacing e.t.’s wreaking all kinds of havoc, some good, some extraordinarily bad.
With the ultra low budget thriller Xenophobia, we’re pretty much in the latter camp, and knowing that what’s on screen here is supposedly inspired by actual events, only pushes that conviction more into disbelief since none of it is remotely credible. However, I’m convinced this was a conscious choice on the part of the filmmakers, who, knowing they had little cash to play with, piecemealed together six different stories of alien contact in an effort to homage dozens of other cheaply made sci-fi bargain bin titles that became fodder for such things as Mystery Science Theater 3000. With overwrought acting, rubbery practical effects, and just plain weird dialogue, Xenophobia is a film that is clearly made with an earnest effort in telling its story but limited by much in making it effective.
The story revolves around six people who come together at a secret meeting of alien abductees, sharing their graphic tales of horrifying encounters. These range from a photographer getting whisked away while out in the desert, to a couple out camping stumbling upon a crashed object that has dire consequences, to a woman and a baby trapped in a house as a dog-sized little creature terrorizes them, to a well, curious bunch of young women with a secret tied up in the garage, and more. But are they connected … and worse, does it spell the end of mankind?
There are three credited directors and writers, Joe Castro, Thomas J. Churchill, and Steven J. Escobar at the helm with it sort of coming across like a horror anthology, loosely strung together in the end in delivering a hopeful shocking surprise. Getting there though will be the test because while it appears the people involved in this legitimately worked hard to create a suspenseful alien invasion horror film, audiences will more than likely adopt it as a cheesy sources of silly good times. When you have a main character – in a straight face – say they are studying for their “astrology exam next week” so that they “will finally be able to graduate and get my doctorate so that I can write my dissertation,” you wonder if this whole movie is a clever joke and Xenophobia is intentionally designed to be hokey. Hopefully so.
Either way, there’s more potential for quirky parody than legit frights in this and it’s by accepting that this becomes one of those so bad it’s good things, especially if you’re already a fan of late 80s practical effects and cheesy acting. This will greatly improve your viewing experience.