Xtro
An estranged father’s return from alien captivity infects an ordinary family reunion with surreal, grotesque terror.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- surreal
- bleak
- menacing
- late night horror marathon
- cult film night
What critics said
Critics generally regarded Xtro as underdeveloped and incoherent, while acknowledging its inventive practical effects and occasional memorable imagery.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sam’s return destabilizes Rachel and Tony’s household, turning parental reunion into a source of fear.
The film features a memorable cocoon sequence, a revolting full-sized birth, and other bodily transformations.
Alien abduction, alternate-dimension implications, a clown figure, and uncanny transformations create an oneiric atmosphere.
The production was an earnest low-budget attempt to revive exploitation science fiction and horror in Britain.
Films like Xtro, and why
The Brood
low-budget alien horror, family disruption, and visceral transformation effects
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
surreal extraterrestrial menace, disturbing bodily transformation, and bleak domestic horror
The Hidden
alien abduction, unsettling reproductive imagery, and atmospheric science fiction horror
Movie Details
- Director
- Harry Bromley Davenport
- Release Date
- 1982-12-06
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (254)
Cast
- Philip Sayer
- Bernice Stegers
- Danny Brainin
- Maryam D'Abo
- Simon Nash
- Peter Mandell
- David Cardy
- Anna Wing
- Robert Fyfe
- Katherine Best
Common questions
- What is Xtro about?
- An estranged father’s return from alien captivity infects an ordinary family reunion with surreal, grotesque terror.
- What is Xtro like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Xtro as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Xtro violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Xtro as graphic.
- What did critics think of Xtro?
- Critics generally regarded Xtro as underdeveloped and incoherent, while acknowledging its inventive practical effects and occasional memorable imagery.
- Which films are like Xtro?
- Films with a similar feel include The Brood, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Hidden.
- How long is Xtro?
- Xtro runs 86 minutes.
