Movies - Watch the skies : A Nostalgic, Bold Leap into Sci-Fi’s Next Frontier

By Mulder, 01 may 2025

There’s something electrifying about a film that doesn’t just tip its hat to cinematic history but dares to tug on its sleeve with bold innovation. Watch the Skies, directed by Victor Danell and brought to life by the inventive collective Crazy Pictures, is exactly that kind of film. From its rebellious teen heroine chasing truths hidden in the stars, to the film's groundbreaking approach to dubbing with Flawless’ immersive AI vubbing technology, this is more than just another sci-fi flick—it’s a love letter to a genre, a real-world community, and a new chapter in global cinema.

At the heart of the story is Denise, a headstrong teenage girl whose belief that her missing father was abducted by aliens drives her into the eccentric arms of UFO Sweden—a real-life club that’s become both the thematic backbone and spiritual muse for the film. If the plot of a young woman teaming up with a ragtag group of misfits to investigate otherworldly activity stirs echoes of E.T., Super 8, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, you’re not wrong. But Watch the Skies doesn’t merely homage those films—it grabs the baton and sprints in a new direction. This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s an adventure built with genuine heart, character-driven drama, and enough surprises to keep even seasoned sci-fi fans guessing.

Part of the film’s charm lies in how deeply rooted it is in Swedish culture while still managing to speak a universal cinematic language. The UFO Sweden club, for instance, isn’t some Hollywood fabrication. It’s real, it’s quirky, and it’s passionate—qualities that Crazy Pictures masterfully channel into the ensemble of loveable outcasts who band together with Denise on her journey. The cast, led by the magnetic Inez Dahl Torhaug, brings a grounded, deeply human touch to a plot that dances on the edge of the fantastic. Jesper Barkselius, Eva Melander, and Isabelle Kyed lend remarkable texture to a narrative that constantly shifts between the small and personal, and the cosmic and unknown.

What truly sets Watch the Skies apart, though, is how it’s pushing the envelope in terms of global accessibility. With its English-language release handled via AMC Early Access Screenings and national theatrical distribution through Falling Forward Films, the film marks a historic first: it’s the world’s first full-length feature to employ AI vubbing to deliver immersive dubbing. Let’s unpack that a bit. Rather than using synthetic audio or awkwardly mismatched voiceovers, Flawless’ tech translates the actors’ performances with pinpoint lip-syncing in English, while preserving the original performances' emotional resonance. In other words, audiences can experience the film with perfect dubbing that actually feels human—because it is. The English dub was made in collaboration with the original filmmakers and cast, and it supports SAG-aligned, union voiceover talent. This isn’t AI replacing creativity—it’s enhancing the craft and expanding its reach.

And it’s hard not to admire that kind of innovation, especially when paired with such an emotionally sincere and narratively ambitious film. Victor Danell and Jimmy Nivrén Olsson’s screenplay walks a fine line between wild sci-fi energy and grounded, almost Spielbergian wonder. The visual language, courtesy of cinematographer Hannes Krantz, blends small-town grit with dreamy skies and deep blue horizons that seem to whisper there’s something out there. The film’s editors, including Danell himself and Fredrik Morheden, pace the film with a kind of tight-yet-playful rhythm, allowing suspense to build naturally while never losing sight of the human relationships at the core.

You can feel the passion behind every scene, and not just from the filmmakers. In the press notes, Danell explains that Crazy Pictures didn’t want to make just another genre piece. They wanted to build a world that felt lived in—a world where junkyard UFO tech and real emotional stakes could coexist. And that’s exactly what they did. There’s a scene where Denise and the club use scavenged gadgets to intercept possible alien signals, huddled together in a makeshift control room full of blinking lights, static, and hope. It’s both absurd and completely authentic—something only filmmakers deeply in love with their material could pull off.

With its May 9 exclusive U.S. release through AMC Theatres, Watch the Skies is poised to become not just a sleeper hit, but a potential turning point in how we experience foreign-language cinema. And Flawless is making sure that this experience doesn’t feel translated, but genuinely shared. With over 100 AMC theaters set to offer Early Access Screenings on May 7, curiosity and excitement are already building. Adding to the fun is Flawless’ Instagram campaign that invites fans to become honorary members of UFO Sweden—complete with giveaways of jackets, pins, and t-shirts. It’s a cheeky, clever way to expand the world of the film beyond the screen and into real life, and it captures exactly what Watch the Skies is all about: bridging gaps between countries, generations, technologies, and belief systems.

Watch the Skies is a film that respects its roots but isn’t afraid to invent its own future. It’s a reminder that even in an age of CGI spectacle and content overload, the best stories are still the ones about people reaching out—sometimes into the stars, sometimes just toward one another—and daring to believe there’s more out there. Whether it’s aliens or just the truth we’re after, this film makes one thing clear: the skies are still worth watching.

Check out to a behind-the-scenes featurette to see Flawless' AI immersive dubbing technology in use and hear from the filmmakers and original actors on how the technology helped bring their vision to life for English speaking audiences : 

Synopsis: 
A rebellious teenage woman’s father went missing years ago and she believes that he didn’t run away, but was abducted by aliens. She joins forces with a funky UFO club made up of a lovable group of weirdos and rejects. Together, they embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the boundaries of the law and ultimately, our world.

Watch the skies
Directed by Victor Danell (as Crazy Pictures)
Produced by Crazy Pictures
Written by Jimmy Nivrén Olsson, Victor Danell (as Crazy Pictures)
Starring Inez Dahl Torhaug, Jesper Barkselius, Sara Shirpey, Eva Melander, Håkan Ehn, Isabelle Kyed, Mathias Lithner, Niklas Kvarnbo Jönsson
Music by Oskar Sollenberg, Gustaf Spetz
Cinematography : Hannes Krantz
Edited by Victor Danell (as Crazy Pictures), Fredrik Morheden      
Production companies : Crazy Pictures, Film i Väst, SF Studios, Sveriges Television (SVT)
Distributed by Falling Forward Films (United States), Wild Bunch (France)
Release date : May 24, 2023 (France), May 9, 2025 (United States)
Running time : 116 minutes