Movie Review: The Fourth Kind

The Fourth Kind

Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton
Running Time: 98 Mins
Genre: Sci-Fi |Horror

Stop, before you make a joke about Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” let me make it clear that these films have nothing in common. Instead of Spielberg’s focus on making contact with visitors from another word, “The Fourth Kind” focuses on the abduction challenging us with the idea of reality Vs. fictional. What’s makes the experience worthwhile however is the fact that this film comes with a disclaimer. Warning the following is based on true events. I know what you’re thinking; in fact I know your already thinking about skipping this one. Honestly? You shouldn’t, because unlike other films based on “true” event, this film challenges the reality behind it. The film tackles the issue of whether we should always believe what were told. It’s this reason that makes “The Fourth Kind” a contact you won’t want to miss.

In 1972, a scale of measurement was established for alien encounters. When a UFO is sighted, it is called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it is the third kind. The next level, abduction, is the fourth kind. This encounter has been the most difficult to document...until now.

The story is typical sci-fi fare; a small suburban town is host to abductions, suicides and a hell of a lot of eerie owls. The story can get abit trite at times playing out like a straight to DVD horror flick but it’s in the delivery where “The Fourth Kind” really shines. The story is laid out with fake re-enactment footage mirroring what were leads to believe is archive footage of the real events occurring. This makes some of the more intense scenes in the movie utterly petrifying. One moment especially near the centre of the film had me cowering behind my coat; this can be occasionally powerful stuff. Its these ingenious initiatives that makes “The Fourth Kind’s” story stand out, its not going to win any awards for originality but boy it does know how to spin a good yarn that will keep your engaged throughout the majority of the film with passable dialogue and well developed characters.



The film is directed with flair and originally showing a keen eye for the inventive. The story may be familiar ground but the director has made some conscious choices in order to make the experience feel fresh and exciting. If you’re worried that this is merely going to replicated the shaky cam style of films like “The Blair Witch Project” fear not. The film is primarily focuses on the main story only diving into archive footage for the very eerie occasions. The direction is confident along with some staggering cinematography and in all a staggering amount of effort and though seems to have gone into the making of this film. What works to the films advantage is the directors decision to focus it on the facts and leaving the speculation up to you, it never force feeds you opinions and only ever strays off into the unbelievable for a mere moment of seconds. I’m not sure whether or not I’m watching a true story but if I’m being honest; he had me convinced.

The acting is the one category where “The Fourth Kind” really shows some lag. Jovovich does a fine job showing conviction and respect for her character and deserves some recognition for a sometimes staggering portrayal of a troubled women. She is let down however by her incompetent supporting cast comprised of Elias Koteas, Will Patton and Hakeem Kae-Kazim. Will Patton especially shows a real lack of enthusiasm and is more wooden than a fleet of ships. His performance is almost laughable and at points dragged to movie down into levels of tedium. His role is brief thankfully and there is very little to complain about outside of this.

The movie certainly looks a treat. The low production values of the archive footage are intensely creepy and really add to the terror omitted by the film, everything else looks well polished and, well, darn right pretty. The landscape is a sight to behold the camera angles are intelligently placed and it all adds up to one amazing looking flick. The film also has technical muscle sporting off some neat visual tricks and a foreboding soundtrack that strikes up at just the right moments. All of this plus the balance of archive footage makes “The Fourth Kind” something that should be seem to be believed.

Verdict: Despite its lack of originality and weak supporting cast, “The Forth Kind” offers an experience that is truly out of this world. One you get past the recycled material you’ll be treated to a movie that’s high on creativity and will barrage you with some of the most astounding frights of the year. You don't have to believe in far-fetched tales of mysterious beams of light and alien abductions to get caught up in The Fourth Kind. This is the same kind of put-on as the low-budget phenomenon Paranormal Activity. Except it's far more effective.

Story: 8.4
Direction: 8.7
Acting: 6.9
Presentation: 8.9

Overall: 8.2