Out of This World
2021 · 15m · USA
Directed by Elia Petridis
Genres: LGBTQ+, musical, sci-fi
Tones: tender, theatrical, whimsical
During a routine cow abduction, Nebby — a rambunctious teenage alien — slips away to spend one night on Earth with Ariana, a former singer turned diner waitress yearning to branch out beyond the stars. Their close encounter blossoms into an unexpected friendship that reminds each of them they're not alone in the universe.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
It's a alien-abduction rom-com musical that somehow *works* — which shouldn't be possible — and that alone makes it worth the contrarian's attention, even if it lands closer to earnest than subversive.
The film's debt to the theatrical musical and its self-aware marriage of pop songwriting to sci-fi pastiche places it in a lineage, though it trades formal rigor for emotional sincerity in ways that feel more Instagram than Godard.
The decision to let Ruy Folguera's orchestration *breathe* through the musical sequence—building genuine intimacy out of what could've been camp—is what transforms a modest 15 minutes into something that actually lands; Petridis trusts the score over the spectacle.
Reviews
So this is what a Space Opera Action Adventure Musical Comedy looks like... the people involved were committed and have talent.
Festivals
- HollyShorts Film Festival 2022
- Tallgrass Film Festival 2022
- San Diego International Film Festival 2022
- MIX COPENHAGEN LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2022
- Other Worlds Film Festival 2022
- FilmQuest 2022
- Leiden International Film Festival 2022
- Omaha Film Festival 2022