The Fourth Kind

Now, let’s not kid ourselves here when talking about aliens. One of the great unanswered questions of all time (besides the whole “how many licks to the center of a Tootsie pop” thing) is whether or not we are alone in the universe. Drive anywhere near the infamous Roswell, New Mexico and you’ll be sure to find evidence that there is hope – or fear, whichever way you prefer to look at it. Mix up this extraterrestrial quest with a camera, some lighting, and CGI effects and you have a bona-fide “alien movie.”

For the record, I completely disagree with Wikipedia’s “list of films featuring extraterrestrials.” Case in point: Wall-E is not an alien movie, it’s a love story and no one can convince me otherwise. But in relation to numerous other movie genres, alien movies are relatively unheralded – and for good reason. Long gone are the good old days of Sigourney Weaver battling seven foot monsters in space, or the young boy Elliot learning to love his friend E.T. (according to my mother, the only time she’s ever seen my dad cry).

Instead, we are forced to sit through films where the aliens are simply shown to us, leaving nothing to the imagination. And for the record remakes like Tom Cruise’sWar of the Worlds are not getting the job done. Besides, isn’t the point of alien movies to scare us and make us wonder?

While the film has yet to be released, The Fourth Kind looks as if it will make me wonder, and possibly scare me into sleeping with the lights on. Set in the town of Nome, Alaska, the film claims to be based on actual events. Specifically, the town itself is known for having a high number of missing people and reported alien abductions over the past several decades. These abductions are purportedly supported by archival footage. Milla Jovovich stars as psychotherapist Abigail Tyler – the supposed true life character who videotaped interviews with those that have been abducted.

So at this point I’m sure the skepticism is flying through the roof about this film. I mean, who actually believes in alien abductions? But that’s not the point. Although the trailer might be relatively surreptitious and unrevealing, it looks scary as hell. The majority of the trailer involves videotaped therapy sessions where the patients have “episodes” in which they relive their abductions in horrifically vivid detail. Seemingly harmless – but it was enough to have me running for cover.

Long story short, this has all the makings of an alien movie that makes you wonder. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying this is an Academy Award winner. But if you’re looking for a good thrill, or just a reason to re-ignite that quest for a higher life form, The Fourth Kind looks like it might be your cup of tea.

If you’re still not convinced, check out the trailer for yourself. Just don’t call me when you wet the bed.