UFO (2018) (DVD film review).
I did wonder why the studio decided to call this film ‘UFO’ when there’s a famous 1970s TV series of the same name not only still out there but having a blu-ray release this year. It even looks like they’re using the same font. Why not call it ‘43×61’, the prime numbers sent out into space to find intelligence life in the early 1970s?
Professor Hendericks (actress Gillian Anderson) works at the University of Cincinnati having to deal with stubborn student and geek, Derek Echevaro (actor Alex Sharp). Elsewhere, a UFO briefly appears over Cincinnati airport.
FBI special agent Franklin Ahis (actor David Strathain) and his team are sent in to contain the information about it and basically do a cover-up. Alex has a phone number of an executive at the airport and gives a better idea of the size of the UFO, 88 feet, by sorting out the maths. In this instance, the information is passed to Ahis. Alex seems to have a knack for finding unlisted phone numbers He ignores classes and goes to the airport, disbelieving the cover story and seeing FBI agents are still there.
The story basically follows Alex working things out, not aware that the FBI are listening in on his phone messages, robbing his apartment for info and realising he’s working the UFO message faster than they can. He also messes up his final exams by all his distractions. He later wakes Kendericks late at night for some guidance in making more sense of the signals. She helps somewhat intrigued before realising it’s beyond her knowledge.
Finally, at Kendericks’ lecture the next day, she figures out the co-ordinates for Derek to go to and see the UFO appear briefly before it vanishes. This time, the FBI pick him up and want him as part of the team to figure things out. The only thing we don’t know is whether or not he passes his exams.
The film is a geek’s delight of information. Although some elements of the maths were beyond me, even I could figure out the data should be a 3-dimensional image simply from the layering of signals. This film is also less about first contact and more about understanding the message the UFO is sending for when it comes back.
Don’t watch this film thinking you’ll be watching a first contact SF story. It is really more about a geek working out what an alien message is about and the realisation that we’re not smart enough yet to understand it. He’s also very lucky having most of his friends helping him regardless. If only life could work that way.
GF Willmetts
October 2018
(region 2 DVD: pub: Sony Pictures. 1 DVD 85 minute film. Price: £ 7.99 (UK). ASIN: B07GDS9TTK)
cast: Gillian Anderson, Alex Sharp, Ella Purnell and David Stratharin
check out website: www.sonypictures.co.uk/
