Thanks to the well-received release of Alien in 1979, a wave of extraterrestrial based horror followed in its wake. Some blatant rip-offs, most terrible or forgettable, and a few so absolutely bonkers that they’ll sear into your memory forever upon first viewing. Harry Bromley Davenport’s insane Xtro falls squarely into the latter. Released 35 years ago in U.S. theaters on January 7, 1983, Xtro has spent the last few decades rising from critical savaging upon release into well-loved cult classic due to its amazing, enduring special effects and ballsy kitchen sink approach plot.
From a critical standpoint, the ravaging makes sense. Despite a rather simple setup, in which Sam Phillips is abducted by aliens right in front of his son’s eyes only to return altered three years later, it quickly becomes something far more complicated and not always the most coherent. A lot of that is due to keeping the extent of Sam’s alien makeup so shrouded in mystery that we sort of have to infer what his new alien abilities can do. It doesn’t help that it’s sort of all over the place. While it’s clear that Sam has returned to claim his young son, Tony, it’s not as clear why sucking on his son like a human juice box means transference of alien DNA. Even the editing can be a bit sloppy at times, with dialogue being heard before the character speaking it even appears on screen. There’s also a few plot threads that don’t make much sense or never bother to get resolved (Award winner for least empathic and competent doctor here). Character introductions are something Davenport wasn’t really interested in exploring either.
Yet, somehow, these idiosyncrasies only enhance the hypnotic charm of Xtro. Thanks to the weird juice box sucking, and Sam’s transference of alien abilities to his son, Tony develops the power to manifest anything he thinks up with his mind. Here’s where the kitchen sink aspect of the film really shines. While Sam is trying to reconnect with his estranged wife, Tony is torturing the neighbors with panthers, killer circus clowns, toy tanks, and life-sized toy soldiers. The very types of things no one anticipates when signing up for a sci-fi horror movie.
From a visual standpoint, it’s also easy to see why Xtro was hardly a favorite among critics. Gloopy, slimy, gory, bloody, and messy, Sam and Tony make a gross alien-hybrid father and son pairing. The most infamous scene landed Xtro on the supplementary list to the Video Nasties, a list of films that couldn’t be prosecuted but were liable to confiscation under a “less obscene” charge. That scene was the gnarly impregnation and subsequent birthing of a fully-grown Sam. It’s every bit as visceral as it sounds.
The special effects team is what elevates Xtro into something remarkable. From the goriest of kills and the squeamish, cringe-inducing ways in which these extraterrestrials seek reproduction, and even the various creature effects for each different iteration of the alien beings, Xtro is impressively revolting. So memorable, that even horror fans who haven’t seen the movie have still likely seen images from the film, notably the very creepy car scene early on with the crawling alien at the edge of the road.
Davenport pretty much dumps every single idea he had into this epic study of gory nihilism. Unnerving backward walking aliens, human hybrid aliens with pointy teeth, full-blown aliens, gloopy victim cocoons, slimy alien eggs, and everything in between, Davenport leaves nothing unexplored on a visual level. Plot-wise, Xtro has a bit of everything as well. It’s a sensory onslaught that leaves you feeling confused, yet in a that you can’t help but appreciate. Roger Ebert referred to Xtro as a “completely depressing, nihilistic” film in his review, and I agree. But unlike Ebert, I feel that’s what makes Xtro work.
Davenport went on to create two more sequels to this tour de force, but none held a candle to the magic of this crazy sci-fi horror. By no means a masterpiece, I’m so glad films like this exist. It’s the type of film that shouldn’t work at all, and still does. A brutal descent into complete madness, held up by fantastic special effects. Here are two 35 more years with one of the meanest sci-fi horror films in existence.
