Close Encounters of the Third Kind
An ordinary lineman’s collision with an otherworldly mystery opens a pathway from personal obsession to transcendent first contact.
Overview
A mesmerizing journey into the unknown where obsession leads to extraordinary revelations.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- dreamy
- mysterious
- awe-filled
- classic science fiction night
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a humane, visually extraordinary, and influential science fiction classic, while noting that its middle section can feel slow or bogged down.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The scientists develop a musical exchange with the visitors, while the encounter is framed through wonder rather than conquest.
Roy Neary and Jillian Guiler independently fixate on the same striated mound image.
Alien lights, blackouts, evacuations, and the secret base are repeatedly experienced through Roy, Jillian, and their families.
Claude Lacombe's team uses the Kodály method and tonal exchange to establish contact.
Films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and why
The Day the Earth Stood Still
shared benevolent extraterrestrial contact, cosmic wonder, and humane science fiction tone
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
shared awe-struck alien encounter, family-centered emotional stakes, and optimistic speculative fiction
Contact
shared mysterious extraterrestrial signals, scientific investigation, and philosophical first contact
2001: A Space Odyssey
shared visionary science fiction spectacle, ordinary protagonists, and fascination with the unknown
Movie Details
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Release Date
- 1977-12-14
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (4864)
Cast
- Richard Dreyfuss
- François Truffaut
- Teri Garr
- Melinda Dillon
- Bob Balaban
- J. Patrick McNamara
- Warren J. Kemmerling
- Roberts Blossom
- Phil Dodds
- Cary Guffey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Close Encounters of the Third Kind about?
- An ordinary lineman’s collision with an otherworldly mystery opens a pathway from personal obsession to transcendent first contact.
- What is Close Encounters of the Third Kind like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Close Encounters of the Third Kind as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Close Encounters of the Third Kind violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Close Encounters of the Third Kind as mild.
- What did critics think of Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a humane, visually extraordinary, and influential science fiction classic, while noting that its middle section can feel slow or bogged down.
- Which films are like Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
- Films with a similar feel include The Day the Earth Stood Still, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Contact, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- How long is Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind runs 137 minutes.
- Where can I watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
- In United States, Close Encounters of the Third Kind streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
