As utterly convincing, visually impressive, and skin-crawlingly disturbing as it was … some twenty-odd years ago.

Fire in the Sky is the 1993 screen depiction of the 1975 alleged alien abduction of lumberjack Travis Walton while out working with his crew. A slowburn, the film is notable for its focus. Rather than gratuitious shots of ETs, the drama revolves around how the disappearance of a local man affects a small town. His crew are villified as murderers, and mob tyranny ruins their lives as the towns tears itself apart.

This film seared itself into my memory as a kid. The petrol station scene (I won’t ruin it) genuinely disturbed me. And the tension throughout builds to that sequence: the single most believable portrayal of an alien abduction I have ever seen. As utterly convincing, visually impressive, and skin-crawlingly disturbing as it was when I saw it some twenty-odd years ago.

But was he abducted? Some have criticised the ambiguity of the film: it never gives us a clear yes-no answer. But I think this is the feature’s strength. The picture’s concern is how people cope with traumatic situations.

Still so fresh. Please give it a watch on Netflix.

4/5

© 2017 Bryan A. J. Parry

featured image from https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wJ_UpP7EG1s/TYJ5F0FcTXI/AAAAAAAAA3E/rJCapE-uPC0/s1600/fire-in-the-sky-original.jpg

Netflix logo from http://contestpatti.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Netflix-logo.png