Roswell Delirium

I was disappointed once again to be tricked into watching a movie I thought was a SciFi, but ended up being something entirely different. The synopsis states: "Following a nuclear attack, a girl receives a distress call from space that leads her on an extraterrestrial journey". Well, there is no call from space, no aliens, and no extraterrestrial journey. This is classic bait and switch, and it is not the first movie that plays the trick of calling itself a SciFi when it is not.

The movie disguises itself as a SciFi, but is actually a psychological drama. It takes an hour of movie watching to finally come to this realization, but by then you have been suckered into it.

There should be a law against passing a movie as a certain genre, when it is not.

I very seldom review movies on here, but this was actually so horrible that I had to warn others to pass it by and not waste their time watching it. I can see why it took years for this to come to light and then went straight to streaming when it finally did come out. The acting was horrible, the script and dialogue and the interaction between the actors looked forced and was horrible and the score was horrendous. The movie was set in an alternate 1980's, and it sure did a good job reminding me of a B movie that was actually filmed in the 80's, so they got that aspect correct. This movie should have stayed on the shelf. 1/10.

Ok, the GOOD: There's a lot to like here. First off, they shot it on the Alexa - which is no small feat on a tight budget. Camera work? Solid. The '80s actors and references? A delightful touch. The sound design starts off real rough, but by the third act it actually finds its groove. Acting-wise... it's a mixed bag. There are standouts, though. Anthony Michael Hall - legend - absolutely flawless in the few scenes he's in (probably three, maybe four days on set, tops, so don't blink). Lisa Whelchel and Dee Wallace? Great '80s additions, even in their brief moments. And who doesn't love America's dad, Reginald VelJohnson? Sam Jones? That guy makes everything better.

The leads grow on you - seriously. They get noticeably better as the film progresses, which makes me think they might've shot it mostly in order (just a theory). So yeah, lots of good stuff here.

Now, the Criticism: This movie changes tone more than any film I think I've ever seen. It starts off quirky - almost a comedy - with a few cringe moments, sure, but it's kind of charming. And then, boom, by the end it veers hard into drama and darkness. I was sitting there like, "Wait... what is happening?" It's just kind of bizarre.

Also: it's not sci-fi. That's a bait and switch. It's a drama. Straight up.

There's way too much exposition. Like, way too much. Classic "tell me, don't show me" problem - and that's the quickest way to lose an audience. At one point I literally thought, "Tolkien couldn't follow this plot." Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh - but still.

That said, I've got a soft spot for low-budget films. I've made a few. They're tough. No one sets out to make a bad movie - it's a craft, and you learn by doing. So I hope the filmmakers see this as encouragement to keep going.

Because here's the thing: it has heart. Especially in the final scenes with the mom and daughter - that hit.

So yeah, not perfect - but a bold, heartfelt swing. And sometimes that's enough to make it worth watching.

I'm shocked this movie was ever made! Sometimes a B movie has bad acting but a great storyline so you continue to watch it wishing the right person with the right amount of money and contacts has the chance to produce it.

This .. this has neither!

It's a D movie at best. No storyline, beyond horrible acting, a purely pathetic attempt at every point of making a movie.

I honestly think the only reason a couple of the known actors did this, was either a HUGE FAVOR to someone or they lost a bet.

We TORTURED ourselves to finish the movie so that I could leave an honest review of the movie and not the first ten minutes that already had me wanting to run!

I'm very happy for actress Lisa Whelchel's return to the set-she's getting better and better. "Roswell Delirium" is overall very well shot, and the cast delivers convincing performances. The screenplay is of a high standard, as is the character development. Given the numerous awards it has already won, we hope the film will be distributed in a greater number of theaters. It would have been great if Whelchel's role had been bigger, given her talent and long professional history-from the series The Facts of Life to the great success she has achieved in recent years, mainly through television projects.