"The Fourth Kind" is a reference to scientist J. Allen Hyneks famous categories involving the sightings of UFOs. Contatos Imediatos do Terceiro Grau (1977) also referred to this scale.
The "real" Dr. Abigail Tyler was played by the actress Charlotte Milchard. In the end credits she appears credited as Dr. Abigail Tyler and in the final cast list with her real name but as one of the "Nome Resident".
The end credits do not include the usual "The events and persons depicted in this film are fictitious..." or "The film is based on the real events..." section.
The movie's hoaxed interviews have angered the families of real missing persons in and around Nome, Alaska, for trivializing their loss. Melanie Edwards, Vice President of Kawerak Inc. (an organization representing tribal peoples in Alaska), described the movie as "insensitive to family members of people who have gone missing in Nome over the years". Universal has refused to discuss the movie with that organization or with local journalists.
Psychologist Chris French wrote on The Guardian:
"The reason he found this film so 'disturbing' was because experience shows that no matter how obvious a hoax may be to those capable of critical thinking, there will always be many who will accept at face value the film's claim to be based on true events."
-None of these events actually occurred, none of the 'archival footage' was real, and Dr. Abigail Taylor has never existed, a piece on Overland reads.-
"The reason he found this film so 'disturbing' was because experience shows that no matter how obvious a hoax may be to those capable of critical thinking, there will always be many who will accept at face value the film's claim to be based on true events."
-None of these events actually occurred, none of the 'archival footage' was real, and Dr. Abigail Taylor has never existed, a piece on Overland reads.-