Is this movie a garage budget version of the Astronaut's Wife? Yes. Get pumped cause in all the ways that Astronaut's Wife is an intert slog Alien Love is compulsively watchable partly in that it's impossible to tell what is intent and what isn't.
Like can someone be this intentionally funny in a seemingly unintentional way? You'll ask yourself the question 5 times a minute. To muddy the waters further, the movie has legitimately good technique from everyone involved. Nathan Hill might be walking like he needs to poop his pants in an Adam Sandler movie while trying to fight a larger man but it works in the context of the film as an actual acting choice. Not since Hal Hartley films or Don Coscarelli's Phantasm movies have the messages been more mixed. It simulates the most confusing date you've ever been on but it involves aliens and middle aged Australians who I swear are related to Rhys Ifans.
Nathan doesn't technically direct this one but as an actor and writer he still really comes through. Most films he directs have a very Polanski (before he molested a kid) influence to them. They're very aware of composition and focus. The director here goes for framing based on out of focus colors and sometimes even in focus colors in various places. It tends to work and when it doesn't I still love the attempt. No boring Marvel camera work here.
I've watched every Nathan Hill movie I can find and how the guy isn't mentioned in the same breathes as Niel Breen, Julia Ducournau and Harmony Korine on the aint nobody else making movies like this guy conversations is beyond me.
