Watch the Skies (2022)

Movies about aliens are nothing particularly new, but this little-known Swedish production could be a game changer in several regards. Writer-director Victor Danell’s 2022 action-adventure sci-fi offering (originally titled “UFO Sweden”) tells the story of a rebellious teen (Inez Dahl Torhaug) who believes that her mysteriously disappeared father (Oscar Töringe), an ardent UFO researcher and leader of a cult-like group of eccentric investigators, is not dead but was, in fact, abducted by aliens, a claim she’s determined to prove. Armed with her dad’s research and aided by his band of onetime colleagues, most notably a former climate scientist (Jesper Barkselius), she sets out to fulfill her quest, one that often strains credibility and leaves her precariously teetering on the brink of the law. Her impassioned odyssey is presented through a cleverly constructed narrative that feels like a cross between “The X-Files” and “Scooby Doo,” an enticing supernatural mystery peppered with delightful quirkiness, touches of camp, dashes of Spielbergian wit and whimsy, and heart-tugging period nostalgia given its decade-long setting beginning in 1988. In addition, the film successfully incorporates a combination of colorful characters, ample action sequences and gentle comic relief, playing very much like one of the adventurous romps of the time frame in which it’s set. What truly sets this picture apart, however, is its highly effective use of a revolutionary new form of AI known as “immersive dubbing,” a technology that digitally adjusts the movements of the actors’ mouths to match newly supplied audio, making it appear as though performances originally delivered in Swedish look authentic when now spoken in dubbed-over English. Without a doubt, conventional dubbing is a production practice I’ve always seen as somewhat dubious, given its many inherent pitfalls, but the dubbing employed here is so seamlessly integrated that one cannot tell that the performances weren’t delivered in English from the outset. This is a cinematic development that holds the potential to dramatically change foreign language films for English-speaking audiences (particularly American viewers who generally loathe to read subtitles), thereby arguably opening an entirely new market for lesser-known but eminently worthwhile overseas releases that genuinely deserve wider domestic distribution. It’s difficult to say how readily this technology will be used by foreign filmmakers, but it gives them a new tool that may make their works more accessible and appealing to US audiences. Of course, immersive dubbing alone is no guarantee of artistic success for foreign offerings, as is even the case here to a certain degree in light of the film’s occasionally slow pacing in the first hour. But, as this story plays out, it becomes increasingly engaging, especially with the inspired twists and turns that emerge. It’s also interesting to note that several narrative carrots are dangled for viewers, suggesting the possibility for sequel(s) to continue this story in intriguing additional ways. “Watch the Skies” may not be perfect as sci-fi pictures go, but it represents a potential watershed moment in the annals of filmmaking and the entertainment potential of this genre, and, on those fronts alone, it deserves a watch, particularly for fans of science fiction and foreign releases. In the spirit of storied franchises like “Star Trek,” this could represent a journey where no one has gone before – and one that offers new vistas for the future of the movies.