SUNDANCE 2023 REVIEW: Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out
Ten years ago, a flying saucer descended from the sky to abduct Calvin’s (Jacob Buster) parents. At least, that’s the way 17-year-old Calvin remembers things. Since then, he’s dedicated his life to tracking down his abducted parents. He spends his days alone in a barn creating spacesuits and listening for transmissions from distant galaxies. Calvin’s UFO obsession has made him Pebble Falls’ resident weirdo.
Itsy (Emma Tremblay) thinks life is over when her family packs up and moves to Pebble Falls. Like any teenager, she wants to move back to the city to be with her old friends. When Itsy hears about a summer internship in New York City, she’s willing to do anything for the position. She teams up with her school’s chief mean girl Heather (Landry Townsend), to write an expose on the town kook, Calvin.
Calvin may be an oddball and a loner, but he has his charms. As the two forms a genuine friendship, Itsy starts to suspect there’s more to his alien abduction story.
Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out is a feel-good sci-fi adventure the whole family can enjoy. Director Jake Van Wagoner has created a heartwarming coming-of-age story reminiscent of beloved ‘80s family films like E.T. and The Goonies.
To be clear, Aliens Abducted My Parents is a lo-fi version of those big-budget films. The budget may not be as high, but the film’s emotional stakes reach the stars. The movie captures the spirit of Amblin Entertainment classics. It’s a tale of unlikely friends coming together to learn their world is much bigger than they imagined.
Aliens Abducted My Parents’ cast delivers strong performances across the board. Itsy, her young brother Evan (Kenneth Cummins), and Calvin get the most time in the spotlight, but the supporting players make the most of their brief screentime.
Will Forte is effortlessly charming as Calvin’s father Cyrus. His brief appearance in an opening flashback sets the emotional tone for the rest of the film. Forte leaves no doubt why Calvin would spend the rest of his life tracking down such a sweet and loving father.
Buster’s Calvin gives off major Doctor Who vibes – maybe it’s the “timey wimey” hair. He’s an amusing combination of brilliant and clueless.
Tremblay has the toughest job as she works through her characters’ complicated inner feelings. The only way for Itsy to achieve her goal is to destroy her blossoming relationship with Calvin. Tremblay does an excellent job believably conveying the emotional tug of war between Itsy’s heart and mind.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Aliens Abducted My Parents doesn’t break any new storytelling ground. Van Wagoner borrows elements from classic adventure movies and presents them in a slick new package. First, you’ve got the city kids forced to move to an out-of-the-way town. And of course there has to be a snot-nosed little brother. And you can’t remake one of these movies without throwing in a montage.
The plot is predictable to a fault but that’s part of the charm. Falling into the genre’s familiar rhythms is its own type of pleasure. And the cast is so charming and funny that they breathe life into the cliché moments.
Aliens Abducted My Parents tells an uplifting story about having the courage to believe in yourself, even when facing impossible odds. This love letter to family adventure flicks should trigger major nostalgia vibes in older viewers. And even though it debuted in Sundance’s Kids section, this story has enough emotional weight to tug on your heartstrings.
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