Exploring the Extraterrestrial Activity of Oren Peli’s ‘Area 51’ [The Silver Lining]

In this edition of The Silver Lining, we’ll be covering Oren Peli’s sophomore effort, Area 51.

The rise of Oren Peli is one of the most surprising success stories in Hollywood. The Israeli programmer turned filmmaker originally invested a mere $15,000 into the production of the first Paranormal Activity, which ended up exploding in popularity and launched his career as horror movie producer. Since then, he’s been behind projects like the Insidious franchise and even Rob Zombie’s underrated Lords of Salem.

However, during this impressive career, Peli has only directed one other movie, which is another interesting Found Footage endeavor that didn’t see the same success as his first feature. While Paranormal Activity was inspired by the director’s experience living alone for the first time and hearing spooky noises at night, 2015’s Area 51 was based on his interest in ufology and conspiracy theories, appealing to those who enjoy a bit of sci-fi alongside their Found Footage thrills.

Production on this alien-focused follow-up began and (mostly) ended back in 2009, hot off the heels of Paranormal Activity’s insanely profitable wide release. However, Oren Peli’s Area 51 wouldn’t see the light of day for many years, with some internet users even joking that a real world conspiracy was preventing Peli from revealing the truth about what goes on inside the base. It was only six years after the project was announced that a trailer was finally released to the public, appeasing fans who had been anxiously waiting to see the director’s take on one of America’s most compelling mysteries.

After all, Area 51 didn’t just benefit from a high-profile director who had miraculously revolutionized the Found Footage subgenre, but it also boasted a considerably larger budget than its faux-home-movie predecessor. Additionally, the flick dealt with subject matter that had inspired speculative fiction for years, leaving UFO aficionados like myself expecting something great.

SO WHAT WENT WRONG?

While there’s no point in judging the film’s disappointing box office return, as Area 51 only played in select Alamo Drafthouse theaters before making its way over to VOD, the dismaying 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes tells you everything you need to know about the flick’s reception. Critics almost unanimously complained about the film’s glacial pacing and silly plot, which depicted a young group of “truthers” invading the titular base in search of answers.

While it’s admittedly a little far-fetched that a group of well-intentioned civilians could so easily infiltrate one of the United States Military’s most well-guarded locations, the six-year delay indicates that Blumhouse Productions was well aware of the film’s issues since 2009. The studio actually kept going back to the project for reshoots well into 2013, attempting to re-edit and remix the material until they had another hit on their hands.

Ironically, this excessive tinkering resulted in a film that feels simultaneously too well produced and excessively amateurish. The overly convenient script and polished direction mean that the Found Footage aspect isn’t all that convincing (especially due to the heavy use of several POV filmmaking tropes), but Area 51 also lacks the budget to properly convey the otherworldly horrors of the infamous Groom Lake facility.

Couple that with an excessive amount of build-up towards the actual invasion of the titular base and you get a flick that’s much less compelling than Peli’s debut effort. Personally, I think the biggest issue here is how you never really get to know the main characters despite spending so much time with them before the action starts. Paranormal Activity wasn’t exactly Shakespeare, but you got the sense that Micah and Katie were real and likable people, which made it easy to root for them when things took a turn for the worst. The same can’t be said for Area 51, which treats its characters more like an excuse to keep the cameras rolling.

THE SILVER LINING

A lot can happen to the horror genre in six years, and that’s why I think Area 51’s overwhelmingly negative reception mostly comes down to bad timing. It may have its flaws, but few elements of the film are actively bad, it just wasn’t a novel experience by the time it finally came out. Found Footage went through a creative boom after the release of Paranormal Activity, which led to experimentation in projects like Chronicle and Bloody-Disgusting’s own V/H/S films. As a result, most of Area 51’s filmmaking innovations had already become standard genre fare by 2015.

However, if you can overlook the film’s more dated elements, you’ll find an intriguing thriller with plenty of sly references to real world conspiracies that are sure to keep UFO buffs entertained. In fact, many of the wacky sci-fi shenanigans going on at the movie’s version of the base are inspired by the Bob Lazar interviews, which touched on everything from extraterrestrial pilots to anomalous anti-gravity technology. No matter what your opinion is on the veracity of these claims, there’s no denying that they make for some kick-ass Science Fiction.

The film also boasts a few genuinely intense chase sequences featuring aliens and base personnel. That being said, I think the experience is at its best when it attempts to be a conspiratorial thriller rather than a traditional horror flick. The mythology and shady politics surrounding the Nevada base are downright fascinating and don’t really require a blockbuster budget to properly convey, making the moments that explore these aspects of the story some of the most interesting. Of course, the rumors of government cover-ups regarding illegal experiments and alien technology are simply irresistible when it comes to speculative fiction, so I can respect how the filmmakers attempted to scratch that expensive Sci-Fi itch as well.

While it certainly doesn’t capture the same home movie madness of the original Paranormal Activity, I’d argue that Oren Peli’s Area 51 is still an enjoyable Found Footage experiment that doesn’t deserve all the hate. Your mileage may vary regarding whether or not you think the payoff is worth the buildup, but there’s definitely some fun to be had with the film’s dive down the extraterrestrial rabbit hole.