SXSW 2021 Review: The Documentary ‘Alien on Stage’ Takes Itself too Seriously for its Comedic Material

“Alien on Stage,” despite having a handful of heartwarming scenes, is a basic and tiresome documentary at its core. Documentaries don’t necessarily have to be stylish and exciting (although it certainly helps, see “Kid Candidate,” also at SXSW this week). Documentaries are partaking in reality, and reality can often be gloomy and bland. It’s what the makers of the documentary bring to it that can make it exciting. Unfortunately for “Alien on Stage,” there’s not a lot that the filmmakers bring to the table.

“Alien on Stage” follows a group of amateur actors in Dorset, England. They’re bus drivers as their day job, but once a year, they do a pantomime show following some unusual theme. Last year it was “Robin Hood,” and this year it’s “Alien.” Yes, that’s right. An amateur theatre group is performing Ridley Scott’s sci-fi hit “Alien” on stage. After an extremely unsuccessful debut at the local theatre, the directors of the documentary funded them to perform in a huge theatre in London. With their newfound second chance, they double down to create the best show possible. 

On paper, the documentary sounds inspiring. And the actual facts of the story truly are. It’s the execution of the documentary that turns an otherwise mildly interesting topic into a color-by-numbers, tired film.

“The Office” is known for its dead-pan mockumentary style. “Alien on Stage” almost feels like that, except you begin to feel that it’s not within the first few minutes. Despite the comedic concept of the film, there’s no clear path to make this a funny documentary. It’s taken very seriously by the filmmakers throughout, with no attempt to include even an ounce of comedy. Now, documentaries don’t have to be funny at all. But when some clearly hilarious remarks straight out of “The Office” are obviously being played off as serious, it brings the whole film down. 

Although the ups and downs of the production were somewhat funny, I’m still not sure if the documentary was necessary. For the first hour, it’s simply not interesting to watch. People mumble about their lines, explain their parts, show off the Alien costume (made of styrofoam tubes, styrofoam, and foam), etc. It’s not very exciting, and it feels like it could’ve been avoided if the directors didn’t make the style so by-the-numbers. The default text found in virtually any editing software is displayed constantly, and there’s absolutely nothing that sets it apart from literally any documentary. 

The purpose of the documentary is incredibly lacking. Easily the best part was when we got to see their performance, the final product. The audience is cheering for these amateur actors, and it’s a genuinely nice moment. But that only exemplifies the lack of necessity for the documentary. It would have been highly enjoyable if there was just a tape of the play. But by forcing the audience to sit through every tedious step in their journey, without a laugh along the way, it makes for an uncomfortable and frankly boring ride. 

Now, the cast and crew of “Alien On Stage” should be proud of themselves. They made an amateur production of a sci-fi film that performed in a huge London theatre three years in a row. That’s an extremely impressive feat. My critique is purely about the documentary itself, not the subject of it.

Almost any topic can be interesting if it’s handled by the right people. The production of “Alien on Stage,” while perhaps not very compelling to many, could be a perfectly fine documentary if made by people who saw the comedy in the situation, while still retaining all of its heart. But when a rather silly subject is played off as an ultra-serious documentary, it makes for a monotonous and dull experience.