Roswell Delirium

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.

Do I think the concept was terrible? No. The execution was bad, and the acting was absolutely awful. The only good thing about this movie imo is Reginald VelJohnson, I love him so much but this movie was not it I fear. It was super underwhelming and the sci-fi aspect didn't show much like I had hoped, I could not keep my eyes on the movie and enjoy it. I think it could've been better, just overall wasn't good. And the kids in the movie had so much potential I think. I do think they could be better (sorry I'm just rambling for the required character minimum) not worth the watch I don't think, but I'd honestly like to see a better remake with the same concept.

The acting is not so great amongst minor role players (especially the kids). I almost gave up watching because of that but the acting for the main characters was very good. Getting past the kids (you'll need to deal with them for the first 45 minutes but not in great quantity) let's you into a fun ride.

As for the story, the synopsis does lead you to believe the movie is much more sci-fi than anything else but it's not. At times it gets confusing but good psychological dramas are supposed to do that. There are so many easter eggs thrown out there it makes you question every part of the story as it plays out. You need to watch the movie all the way through before all of the pieces fit together, but they will.

2.5 ⭐

Of course this is a B movie. At times it feels it's a few letters after that.

The movie is a bit confusing. It starts showing an alternate history in the 80's but it's so sloppy I sort of questioned if they were actually doing "alternate history", or if they just got their history very wrong. They never explain what's so different either. They're trying to say nuclear war happened, but it's very unclear what that affected. Where the nukes hit. Which should have been way clearer. Especially when you have your characters getting radiation sickness all the time. Having the big exposition dump done by bad child actors in a classroom was a really bad idea.

Even when it's not obviously confusing, characters do and say things that make no sense. Near the end, the movie adds some explanation that tries to explain away major issues. I say "tries" because it does a bad job and causes even more issues than it fixes.

This movie steals a lot of moments and lines from other movies. As a Sci-Fi fan, I noticed about 6 moments that were basically ripped right out of other movies. And no, it didn't feel like a tribute, it felt stolen. And in a bad cringe way. The bad acting just makes it worse. Not only that but it was really unnecessary to rip off those moments.

An example is the main girl is on a ham radio and interrupts a conversation. Then she does the exact line from Star Wars - the one where Han Solo is on the radio in the detention center on the Death Star. That scene here is UGLY!

A lot of those stolen moments were ugly. This movie ripped off so much, that it even copies itself at times. There are scenes of a kid that gets lost and someone finds their stuffed animal. That happens a few times. Different kids and stuffed animals.

Worst of all were the 80's TV show references. There's about 15 scenes where characters reference an 80's show. It was so excessive, that I worried that it would tie into the story somehow. Like a side effect of alien abduction would be that they referenced TV shows or something. The first time it happened makes sense, you're like OK, they're really trying to show that it's the 80's. Then next few times you're like OK, they're going overboard. But every time after that is extreme. Did the writer-director have memory problems?

If all the confusion, bad acting, and more wasn't bad enough, this movie does the "mix up all your scenes and do multiple timelines" thing.

Having multiple timelines and then mixing up your scenes haphazardly doesn't equate to being artistic. It worked for very few movies. It especially doesn't work here. Especially when the scenes and story are are so confusing already.

There's no scenes showing anything really. All the scenes are dialogue in rooms. This movie tries to tell this story of nuclear war, aliens, space travel, Sci Fi world with nuclear fallout, but you never see any scenes showing any of it. Characters talking about the war, or the aliens but you never really see anything. Some footage taken from the real Challenger spacecraft explosion is the most you'll get.

One scene's bad acting was actually punctuated by actual crickets. The scene of people talking outside and the crickets slow their chirping when the actors talk. They're so close the talking scares the crickets. It's off-putting. An additional small trademark of a bad movie.

The only take away I have here is the camera work is alright. No bad angles. Decent use of lenses and angles. Good placement.

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.