Hey gang, Valkor here. Welcome back to another episode of MediaView, where we dive into the film world and see what's worth our time or a total waste of time. The next flick on deck stars TOV regular Nathan Hill, who drops on us a sci-fi thriller with a crazy cliffhanger ending called Alien Love. Hill is usually the director. But in this new flick, he writes the script as well as acting as the lead. Let's check it out!
Alien Love focuses on Ryan (Nathan Hill), an astronaut on his way into space. A member of NASA appears at his home to inform his wife, Sadie (Ira Chakraborty) that they've lost contact with Ryan for over a minute. However, everything should be OK, and she needn't worry. When Ryan returns, he seems pretty normal, for the most part. Only he's not so vocal and more reserved. Ryan is also into aliens and alien conspiracy theories. He has even gone so far as to attend an Alien Anonymous meeting, where others share their stories of alien encounters. Things come to a head when it's revealed that Ryan is an alien, Sadie is pregnant with his alien baby, and the Men in Black (not from the MiB films) arrive and are in hot pursuit of alien Ryan. The film ends when Ryan is surrounded by black suits and an alien ship overhead that suddenly appears. The spacecraft projects a bright light that either warps alien Ryan onboard or decimates everyone.
On top of the drama and sci-fi components, Alien Love also has some sexual overtones. Not as heavy as The 33D Invader (and not as much fun). However, I would have liked the film to play in this area. Sure, alien Ryan has sex with his wife. But there was a part where he was going to have sex with another woman he met at a bar. But that never pans out. And I think it would have been a lot of fun to see Ryan play around with his budding sexuality. Alas, it was not to be. And now, on with the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
Alien Love is one of the more quirkier films I've watched recently. It’s dark, brooding, with some sexual overtones. The film fits well alongside other Nathan Hill films such as Colourblind, Jasper, or even the more recent Lady Terror as it has the same creepy atmosphere and slow pacing that builds up to something that pops! The story is decent, though there are a few questions left unanswered. I won't get into it because doing so will make this review longer than I would like. But if you stick with this one, you'll see what I mean. Next, for this type of indie film, I felt the special effects and acting were okay, particularly the alien ship. It's nothing jaw-dropping, but it's a cool effect nonetheless. Finally, what caught me off guard and gave me a chuckle were the MiBs at the climax of the film. Mind you, they were dressed in plain clothes. And BOOM, black suits! During that moment, I thought I had dozed off. Ultimately, I have to show Alien Love some love because it's a decent science fiction film with a thrilling conclusion.
The Bad:
I called Alien Love quirky. But I felt the film could have been quirkier. Straightaway, we didn't know that Ryan had been switched until a flashback later in the flick. But we can assume he had since he seemed off when he returned. The movie could have also explored Ryan's alien identity and sexual situations. This was a movie where a lot of fun could have been had. However, it appeared to be a series of missed opportunities.
The Ugly:
N/A
Alien Love is available now on the streaming app Tubi. And if you're in the mood for something off-the-wall but more on the dramatic side, with a hint of sexual flavor, then you need to look no further. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving Alien Love a 3.5.
