CODEPENDENT LESBIAN SPACE ALIEN SEEKS SAME

Jane is a lonely greeting-store clerk with even less going on in her dating life than in the often-deserted shop. She fills the void with an active imagination involving spaceships and aliens. On the planet Zots, somewhere in the neighborhood of Saturn, nosy bureaucrats recognizable to any species in the universe are hustling Zotsians offplanet, convinced that their abundance of romantic emotions is damaging the ozone layer. Banished to earth to overcome their “big feelings” by having their hearts broken by fickle earthlings, they’ll be allowed to return once they cease to pose a threat.
Writer-director Olnek, a playwright and stage director debuting her first feature, deftly parodies the myriad tropes of low budget sci-fi with obvious glee, from the alien’s monotonal speech to wobbly camera-handling and cheesy special effects. Performances are aces all around, considering the low marks that need to be hit. The portrayal of lesbian dating situations will resonate with singles of all persuasions, as the film nails earthlings’ obsessions with both romance and extraterrestrials. (Justin Lowe)