I don’t know about you, but I think the whole concept of aliens is fascinating. I’d love to meet an intelligent being from another planet, but alas, even if they do exist, the chances of that happening are probably as close to zero as you could possibly get. Realistically, the best I can hope for is to see them in movies, so when I first heard about the sci-fi comedy Foil, I was instantly intrigued. The trailer promised a hilarious romp with an otherworldly bent, so I couldn’t wait to press play on my screener and check this film out.
Foil was directed by Zach Green, and Green also stars in it along with Devin O’Rourke, Chris Doubek, and Brian McGuire. In the movie, Dexter is a struggling filmmaker who’s back in his hometown for his high school’s 10-year reunion, but his life becomes a lot more interesting when he runs into an old friend named Rex.
Instead of attending the reunion, the two pals journey out to a nearby desert in search of an energy vortex with healing properties, and soon after they arrive, they encounter a fellow camper named Tom. He shows them a mysterious piece of foil that he says is from a fabled UFO crash, and that shiny artifact leads our main characters on a mind-bending journey beyond their wildest dreams.
Like most comedies, Foil stands or falls largely on the strength of its humor, and unfortunately, I thought the jokes were a very mixed bag. Some are genuinely hilarious, like the gags about Dana Carvey, peeing on the run, and silent treatments (those will all make sense if you watch the film), and there are several that are good enough even if they’re not great.
But there’s also a lot of unfunny humor here, and on the level of sheer quantity, the mix is about 50/50. However, if we’re talking quality, I’d have to give the edge to the jokes that work. Like I said, some of these gags are an absolute riot, but I never found myself cringing or rolling my eyes at any of the bad ones. They’re not quite that unfunny, so on the whole, I have to say that the comedy is actually one of the film’s strengths, but just barely.
If that was all Foil had going for it, you’d probably be better off giving this movie a pass, but there’s more to it than just some good laughs. For starters, the two main characters, Rex and Dexter, are super likable. Actors Zach Green and Devin O’Rourke imbue them with a charm that goes well beyond their comedic chops, so you’ll come to care about them and their journey very quickly.
In particular, Dexter’s down-on-his-luck vibe makes him really relatable and sympathetic, and doubly so if you’re any sort of artist or creative (I’m a musician, so his struggles really hit home for me). You simply can’t help but feel for the guy and hope that something works out for him down the line, so when things start to go south for him and Rex, you’ll inevitably find yourself rooting for them to make it out alive.
On top of that, Foil also has a pretty cool sci-fi bent to it, but the film takes its time getting there. The setup with the vortex and the mysterious piece of foil is interesting enough, but after about 20-30 minutes, the story starts to drag. Rex and Dexter go their separate ways for a bit, and it feels like the narrative slows down to a crawl.
This is hands down the worst part of the movie, and for a while, I actually thought it was going to ruin the entire experience. But thankfully, the story picks up again in the final half hour or so, and it even makes sense of the snail-like middle portion. You understand why the film had to play out the way it did, and that makes the pacing issues a bit more palatable (but not entirely).
But above all else, the final act of Foil excels at crafting a fun sci-fi mythology that ends the movie off on a high note. I’m obviously not going to spoil anything, but suffice it to say that this isn’t just a comedy that dips its toes into extraterrestrial territory to grab your attention. This is a legit sci-fi flick that takes its otherworldly premise and runs with it, so fans of the genre won’t be disappointed.
What’s more, there’s also a cool twist you almost certainly won’t see coming, and it just adds to the weird fun. Granted, a couple of plot developments are fairly predictable, but the truth behind the film’s central mystery, the allegedly alien foil, is not what you think it is. It’s much better, so if you feel tempted to turn the movie off during the weak middle section, give it a chance. You just might change your mind when the third act rolls around.
So at the end of the day, I’m happy to report that I had a mostly good time with Foil. Sure, the film has its problems, and to be frank, they do knock it down quite a few pegs. It’s not in the top tier of weird comedies I’ve seen this year, but if you’re a fan of aliens, this movie gets enough right that it’s worth checking out.
Foil is set to hit VOD on May 10.