David Gardner sees a UFO crash in the woods behind his home. He tries to tell his parents (Timothy Bottoms, Laraine Newman) but they don't believe him. Then his parents and his teacher Mrs. McKeltch (Louise Fletcher) change with something on the back of their necks. The only person who believes him is the school nurse Linda Magnusson (Karen Black).
The movie starts off well. The premise is a good one. It's always compelling to have a kid be the most knowledgeable and the adults not believe him. The first half has some good paranoia. Then the movie starts to deteriorate. The aliens are cheesy looking. The special effects look weak. The introduction of the military takes away all of the early goodwill. It turns a pretty good paranoid thriller into a campy B-movie cheesefest.
The movie starts off well. The premise is a good one. It's always compelling to have a kid be the most knowledgeable and the adults not believe him. The first half has some good paranoia. Then the movie starts to deteriorate. The aliens are cheesy looking. The special effects look weak. The introduction of the military takes away all of the early goodwill. It turns a pretty good paranoid thriller into a campy B-movie cheesefest.