My Take:
A mysterious substance falls from the sky into the New Mexico desert and takes the form of a woman (the incredible Lauren Ashley Carter). This "Newcomer" begins to experience the world, learning language, tastes, and emotions from scratch. Meanwhile, in New York, lives her look-alike—Julianna, an adult film star struggling with burnout and a sense of emptiness. The film follows both women, suggesting they are two sides of the same coin. This isn't your typical alien invasion flick; it’s an intimate sensory journey exploring how the body and our experiences shape the soul.
What's Captivating: The visual style and Lauren Ashley Carter’s performance. She does an incredible job creating two distinct yet connected personas. The cinematography is stunning—ranging from the raw desert landscapes to the neon gloom of NYC. There’s a distinct queer-coded sensibility in how the film views the female body—not as an object, but as a vessel for experience and truth-seeking.
A Word of Caution: It’s heavy on metaphor. The film is very slow, almost dreamlike. If you're looking for concrete answers about where the "alien" came from, you might be disappointed. Director Natasha Kermani is more interested in the nature of existence than the technicalities of sci-fi.
Verdict: 7.5/10 👽🌓🎞️
Sensual, weird, and beautiful. A film that lingers in your mind and forces you to reflect on your own reality.
