The ’80s was a good time for alien movies. From blockbusters like E.T. and Aliens to cult-favorites like They Live and Killer Klowns from Outer Space, aliens were definitely “in” during the Reagan era. Now, a new alien film is hoping to bring back some of that ’80s magic, and its first trailer definitely makes the case that old school movie aliens are indeed back.
The indie film, called Dark Encounter, comes from director Carl Strathie, and it looks like it will be showing its cinematic influences on its sleeve. The first trailer appears to include visual nods to anumber of non-80s alien movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Fire in the Sky, and Signs, but the overall feel is very ’80s — or at least very manufactured ’80s à la Stranger Things. Here’s the film’s official synopsis, courtesy of Bloody Disgusting:
“A year after the mysterious disappearance of an 8-year-old girl, we meet her grieving family as they return home from her memorial service in their small town. Later that evening, strange lights appear in the nearby forest and the family is exposed to an inexplicably strange phenomenon that rattles them to the core. The origin of the lights appears to be visitors from another world.”
This retro alien thriller definitely has piqued our curiosity, and we have a strong feeling that there’s more to the film’s mysterious plot than meets the eye. We’ll find out if our suspicions are correct soon enough, as Dark Encounter arrives on Digital, On-Demand, and DVD on Jan. 7.
