InAlienable (2008)

This movie wasn’t a wide release and wasn’t even in theaters, but I’m breaking my own rule here because watching this movie is a life changing experience.  It moved me.  InAlienable wasn’t just a film about a man replacing his negligently killed son with an extra terrestrial, it was about love and what makes us human.

With a budget of $1,500,000 (give or take, according to imdb) you might expect flashy effects or, at the very least, some intriguingly articulated Styrofoam for our multi-limbed alien, but here our filmmakers have their priorities straight.  Rather than distract from the heart of this tale with visuals which clearly may have unnerved audiences by reaching ‘uncanny valley’ status, they have instead focused on bringing together the best cast they could, featuring cameo after cameo of sci-fi veteran in a parade of support.  And who could blame them?  No man is an island, and this particular man’s rightful love of the parasitic being inside him is a unique but touching story that all can relate to.

InAlienable speaks to us not only as individual beings but as a society.  As Tom Zarek demands equal rights for his surrogate son, as Deanna Troi claims that comparing the new species’ struggle is unequal to that of African Americans, I couldn’t help but shed a tear.  Truly the writers of this masterpiece have lived the emotion and strife of these characters.

But seriously though.

1.5/10