Are UFOs real? These five documentaries make the case we’re not alone in the universe

UFOs — or UAPs, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena — have been back in the news with allegations by a former U.S. intelligence officer, David Grusch, that the U.S. government possesses “intact and partially intact non-human aircraft.”

As Toronto Star entertainment columnist Vinay Menon wrote last month, the stigma surrounding UFOs has dissipated to the point that mainstream media are reporting on the phenomena without the labels of “kooks” and “crazies” being applied. And Grusch’s recent congressional testimony is bolstering the notion that human beings might not be alone in the vast, unknown universe.

You don’t have to do much digging to find reasonable, balanced coverage of UFO/UAP incidents. There are now a slew of documentaries on the subject, a number of which provide compelling, well-researched information that has left viewers more open to the possibility of intelligent alien life. Here are five of the best UFO/UAP documentaries to start you off:

John was Trying to Contact Aliens

Begin your UAP documentary journey with this warm, wonderful 16-minute film featuring rural American electronics expert John Shepherd and his 30-year experiment to make contact with extraterrestrial beings. Shepherd transmitted music into space, with a romantic, hopeful spirit that some creature, somewhere, would eventually hear it. This 2020 film won the non-fiction short film jury award at that year’s Sundance Festival and it’s very easy to see why: if you’re going to fail in your efforts to contact aliens, you could do much worse than Shepherd and his honest, heartfelt intention to do something beneficial for the human species. Stream on Netflix

Alien Abduction: Betty and Barney Hill

Consider the account of American couple Barney and Betty Hill — to this day, the most famous, otherwise ordinary people to report an alien abduction. The alleged incident, which the Hills recount as having taken place in 1961 on a deserted New Hampshire highway, will receive even more coverage in the months ahead when the production company of former U.S. president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama puts together a documentary on its version of the Hills’ story. But for the moment, this solid film will do the trick. Stream on Discovery Plus

Moment of Contact

This film, the first of two on this list by American documentarian James Fox, focuses on a single close encounter that took place in 1996 in the Brazilian city of Varginha. Allegedly, a UFO crashed in the city and three Brazilian women claimed to have come within a few feet of a stranded and eventually captured alien. This story could be easily dismissed if it were only those three women making such a claim, but Fox finds multiple people throughout the city who also saw a strange vehicle slam into the ground. “Moment of Contact” adds credence to the tale by demonstrating that the Brazilian military quickly descended on the scene in Varginha and took some type of object into their custody. Grusch’s assertion that the UFO phenomena is global in nature is underscored here and viewers will come away feeling as if they’d experienced the event themselves. Stream on tubitv.com or rent at Google Play, microsoft.com, YouTube or Apple TV.

Unacknowledged

Released in 2017, narrated by actor Giancarlo Esposito, “Unacknowledged” follows the UAP disclosure efforts of former American physician Steven M. Greer, who since 1998 has been a full-time Ufologist. Greer — who has attracted his share of cynics — has brought together respectable figures from an array of backgrounds who are convinced they encountered something not of this Earth. On the heels of Grusch’s revelations, Greer staged a media event in June at the National Press Club in Washington, where he presented the testimony of more than 700 UFO/UAP whistleblowers. Greer’s views might not match your own, but you can’t deny he has been a bridge-builder for the UFO community. Stream on Prime Video or rent at Google Play, microsoft.com, YouTube or Apple TV.

The Phenomenon

“The Phenomenon,” also from James Fox, goes to great lengths to document numerous unexplained flying objects. Released publicly in 2020, this doc presents accounts from politicians, scientists and everyday people, along with video evidence, that will persuade many there’s something strange in the skies. Particularly intriguing is a 1994 incident at a school in Zimbabwe, in which 62 students between six and 12 reported seeing an alien ship land close to the school. Skeptics argue this was an instance of mass hysteria, but a Harvard professor of psychiatry interviewed the children shortly after the incident and found them to be truthful in their accounts. Regardless of whether you believe any single incident compiled here, the sheer volume of unexplained phenomena makes a considerable case for further examination, at the very least. Fox has emerged as a key, balanced voice in the UFO/UAP field and this film is well worth your time. Stream on tubitv.com or rent at Google Play, YouTube or Apple TV.

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