andrewobriandunlap

Basically an exploration of some Ancient Alien concept of humans having been bioengineered by a more advanced extraterrestrial species. A completely unproven but not entirely implausible theory, and certainly a fun one to imagine. Even though I wouldn't call myself a believer in such conjecture.

Unfortunately none of the main characters were likeable aside from maybe David and Janek, although some of the minor characters were okay. All the actors were fine but the characters themselves were disappointing. There is a noticeable amount of pandering to religious nonsense too, which is never welcome. The conflict that arises toward the end is fairly interesting. I wish they had developed it more and revealed more answers, with a more compelling and relatable set of protagonists.

"The (Indonesian) criminal justice system needs to be reformed." That was probably the truest statement made in this documentary, which could also summarize the entire movie.

Their "expert" witnesses were highly dubious to say the least. They literally brought in a physiognomist (a sort of pseudoscientist judging someone's character based on their facial features) to testify in court! I was flabbergasted! I will not reveal the verdict in my review, so as to avoid spoilers. I have my own suspicions and probably agreed with the outcome. But suffice to say the methods they used to reach that outcome were shockingly backwards and therefore I think the verdict should have been different.

Obviously there are many beautiful aspects of the diverse Indonesian culture and people, but after watching this documentary I will not be planning a trip there anytime soon. No place is perfect, certainly not my own country (United States). But this documentary revealed some serious and frightening flaws in their society. I think it's worth a look, especially if you have even a passing interest in Indonesia.

Mostly interviews of alleged eyewitnesses, hardly any compelling evidence. These are not exactly rational skeptics. We hear from several people who are clearly mentally disturbed, feeling the presence of extraterrestrials in their bedroom at night, hearing alien voices in their head, and even claiming to communicate with them using some language of strange noises.

Nearly all of the interviewees are very religious and/or superstitious, which says a lot about their willingness to believe things on faith without empirical evidence. Throughout the series we're often told that if we believe in angels, demons, and spirits then why not believe in aliens too? What a rationale! Other witnesses endured a natural and nuclear disaster. But I'm sure traumatic events never influence people's perception, right?

Rarely and briefly in this series we do hear from a couple of seemingly level-headed researchers and an eyewitness with an alternate explanation. The best I can say is that a few of the witnesses did see something and simply told their story. But overall, unless you like hearing a mixture of rehashed UFO stories and tall tales of alien abduction from kooky attention seekers, I would not recommend this series.