Aliens took her dad eight years ago … there’s still time to save him! Wait. That’s the tagline from Timecop. Well … it fits here, too. Sorta. I think.
“UFO Sweden” isn’t a real thing. This makes sense and saddens me at the same time. It makes sense in that if there were a group of Swedes obsessed with alien encounters, why would they call themselves “UFO Sweden?” If you live in Sweden, that name doesn’t make sense on several levels. It saddens me in that I like the idea of a national “X-Files” so localized it consists of four rubes and a cow.
Of course, that’s kinda what I think about all UFO reportings in this country as well. And I find them quaint and endearing right up to the point where they’re pushier than Jehovah’s Witnesses on a bender.
Let’s get this out of the way right now:
Do I believe aliens exist? Yes, of course they do. Infinite planets and we are the only one with intelligent life? HA!
Do I believe aliens have ever come to Earth? No. Or if they did, it was long before humans existed in current form.
Do I believe aliens will make contact with us within the next century? No.
The latter is based entirely upon: 1) How time works and 2) Proximity of Earth to other planets that might have life on them.
I know that’s a buzzkill. And I’m sorry if it is. No, I don’t think Area 51 is anything more than a government-inspired hoax. And I say these things because within the context of the universe, our life spans are incredibly short and that distance between worlds is longer than you’ve ever really contemplated. The nearest star to us is 4.37 light years away. That’s 5.88 trillion miles. That means a beam of light traveling at light speed (which is significantly faster than any human has ever traveled) and going in a straight line would still take over four years to get there. We aren’t even close to that kind of tech. And we’d still have to figure out how to spend 5 years in a box. AND then and only then we are assuming life is fewer than five light years away. The odds that the closest sun also has a life-giving planet. Yeah. Not so much. Movies ain’t real life.
I could be wrong. I frequently am. But I’ve not actually seen a single piece of logic or evidence suggesting that aliens have been here.
Today’s film is Watch the Skies, formerly known as UFO Sweden. In short, a teenage Swedish troublemaker, Denise (Inez Dahl Torhaug), has channeled all her rebellious energy into looking for her father, who disappeared eight or nine years earlier. Dad was looking for aliens.
One day, dad’s missing car returns, mix tape and all, having fallen from the sky into a rural barn immediately following a stream of mysterious red lights 
and otherworldly magnetism. The Swedish authorities dunno what to make of it, but they do know Denise is a troublemaker. Better arrest her just in case. Lacking for options and resources, Denise finds UFO Sweden, a group of lackadaisical skywatchers once led by her dad. They need to be convinced, which is kind of ironic, doncha think?
Mostly, UFO Sweden exists to get the heat off Denise. BTW, Denise escapes at least half-a-dozen polis encounters in this film (wow, Swedish police on film suck, too), and in none of them does she say what I would have said, “I think my dad has been abducted by aliens (which sounds insane, I know) … but here is my proof!” How is that so hard? Do we think Denise is just dreaming this stuff up? Is her upset psyche delusional due to fallout from parental-loss-induced-schizophrenia? It’s a movie; I’m sure your police friend will believe you; then everything you do is justified and legal. Why don’t you want that?
While Watch the Skies does eventually answer, “What happened to Denise’s father?” I’m not sure the film ever answered, “Are there aliens?” I tell you what. You can watch it and decide for yourself. But I’m not recommending it.
Stuck firmly in an heroic mindset freeze
Denise hunts each UFO clue she sees
You’re indulging your fears
Dad’s been gone for years
In Sweden, forget the skies, watch the skis
Rated PG-13, 115 Minutes
Director: Victor Danell
Writer: Victor Danell, Jimmy Nivrén Olsson
Genre: Aliens took my dad
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Aliens
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Doubters
