Bleed neon, Mofos! Kids vs. Aliens, filling a void of fantasy and science fiction offerings at the theaters, is the real thing! Thanks to a fun-loving, free-styled story from director Jason Eisiner and co-writer John Davies, this movie kicks some serious ass as underestimated kids prove they’ve got the balls to take on some overbearing aliens.
Kids vs. Aliens, at its heart, is a movie about kids who just want to make their own movie about space monsters, wrestling, and everything else we 1980s kids cherished growing up. Give them a camera and, with their imagination, they will take over the neighborhood eventually with their creativity. It’s my kind of movie, especially when their imagined creatures become the real thing.
Kids vs. Aliens is, at once, charming, capturing what made The Goonies so endearing with its wild energy. It is often frenetic and loose with its set-up, filling its running time with foul-mouthed kids running amuck as a hard-hitting synth score from Andre Gordon Macpherson keeps pace with their wild adventures.
The sci-fi meets horror movie, thanks to its use of practical effects, is also a hell of a lot of scrappy fun for horror aficionados, clocking in at a breezy 75-minutes as F-bomb dropping kids attempt to outsmart an alien invasion. Occurring over the course of about 24 hours, Kids vs. Aliens is a prime example of constant creativity as this team - which includes co-writer John Davies - as overexcited kids find themselves battling aliens in one of the wildest homages to the 1980s to be released in the last five years. 
Directed with non-stop swagger by Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun, Turbo Kid) and full of as much camp as there is gore, Kids vs. Aliens is a B-minded midnight flick which does not disappoint as a fishing boat runs afoul of an alien lifeform. The crew is quickly dispatched by the alien and the hyper-realized scene makes for a nice introduction to the danger which this gangly group of boys (and some annoying teenagers) is headed right for. They don’t know it, of course, but we do and, thanks to the cinematography from Matt Barkley, the resulting tension is white-knucked and flavor-lasting!
Couple the boys’ wild imagination with a Halloween party from Hell (which the aliens crash) and you have the makings for an unforgettable blast when it comes to B-marvel films. Gary (Dominic Mariche) and Sam (Phoebe Rex), his sister, are introduced to us as they fight dinosaurs with guns and swords. Gary’s friends are all in when it comes to their fiery imaginations and their wild costumes, but have little use for attitudinal teenagers - of which Sam finds herself entering thanks to a crush - and the attitudes which follow. Eisener does, though. And the resulting underdog team of can-do kids against these righteous space invaders makes for one hell of a sweet time sucking on the nostalgic nipples of the past. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore.
Kids vs. Aliens comes crashing into theaters and on-demand platforms on January 20.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 75 mins
Director: Jason Eisener
Writer: Jason Eisener
Cast: Dominic Mariche; Phoebe Rex; Calem MacDonald
Genre: Sci-fi | Horror
Tagline: F*ck Space!
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: RLJE Films
Official Site:
Release Date: January 20, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: An all-time rager of a teen house party turns to terror when aliens attack, forcing two warring siblings to band together to survive the night.
