There was a surprising pattern that emerged from the buzziest sci-fi movies that premiered at this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival: the alien invasion isn’t coming, it’s already long over. There’s no battening down the hatches or sending Will Smith up in a fighter jet to welcome aliens to Earth, it’s about dealing with the fact that aliens live among us, and might be possessing your friends and family as you speak.
It’s a fascinating pattern to emerge from in 2025 indie sci-fi, one that could maybe speak to a more cynical shift in the genre going forward… Or maybe it’s just easier for movies of a certain budget to make movies about alien possession.
