Ever since the initial UFO scares in the 50s people have
loved to watch movies based on the possibility of invaders from outer space
heading to Earth. With the stories of Roswell those movies abounded and screens
were filled with various versions of little green men. The films weren’t done
with finesse until Steven Spielberg came along with CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE
THIRD KIND. The low budget film WAVELENGTH a few years later wasn’t bad and
FIRE IN THE SKY gave us our first serious look at what was claimed to be an
actual abduction. THE X-FILES told us to believe. But most movies failed to hit
the mark. Until a new film called BEYOND THE SKY was released.
Documentary film maker Chris Norton (Ryan Carnes) is set to
make a film about those who claim they were abducted by aliens. Norton is a
non-believer who has a rational explanation for all of the claims being made. In
part this was spurred on by the fact that his mother left him and his father
years before and on that same night his father claims to have seen aliens. Norton
goes to a gathering of claimants at a convention near Roswell along with his
trusty cameraman Brent (Claude Duhamel). Warmly greeted by Bill Johnson (Don
Stark) things get iffy when while interviewing one of the guests he becomes
agitated. Johnson asks them to leave but a woman who calms down the young man
catches his interest.
The woman is Emily Reed (Jordan Hinson). Norton and Brent
track her down to a small group she hosts on her own with no publicity.
Somewhat like an AA meeting each members stands, states their name and tells
their story. In Emily’s case she has been abducted every seven years since she
was seven years old. And in a few days she will be celebrating her 21st
birthday.
Staying behind and talking with Emily she invites him to go
along with her to a secret Indian ceremony nearby that she hopes will protect
her from the abduction this time. Given hallucinogens the trio have visions.
When they come down the unfortunate news is that the ceremony didn’t work.
Emily will once again be abducted.
What happens from here is something that has to be seen to
be enjoyed. To reveal more would spoilt it and trust me, the movie caught me
off guard here and in a good way. I’m one that usually figures out what’s
coming before a movie gets to the last 20 minutes. I thought I’d done that here
but not quite. It makes for a satisfying ending.
The acting is truly good among this group. They come off as
believable and that’s refreshing to see in a day and age when big name stars
come across as performers rather than actual people. Carrying off a performance
on a topic like this and making it believable makes it even more special.
But with a movie about alien abduction the true question
becomes what about the special effects? If the potential aliens and spacecraft,
if they are indeed that, don’t look good then a movie can fall flat on its
face. Here I found those to be quite satisfying as well. It was a good job and
interesting to witness the concepts that the film makers came up with here.
On the whole I would recommend this movie to any and every
one. I truly enjoyed it and know I’ll hold on to it and watch it again in the
near future. It was that good. My guess is you will enjoy it as well so seek it
out among the ton of big studio features that don’t begin to compare.
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