By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 1 hour ago

1977 changed everything for science fiction with the surprise success of George Lucas’s adventure, Star Wars: A New Hope, and Steven Spielberg’s thoughtful dramatic thriller, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It turns out, there was an audience for each of them, and while the influence of Star Wars on culture is undeniable, Speilberg’s take on UFOs quietly shaped the visual language of alien abductions, how we talk about them, raised them up from the fringe of culture, and proved that thoughtful, purposeful sci-fi would always have an audience. Looking back, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Close Encounters would be a success, but that’s only with hindsight since the film was blazing a new trail and re-inventing science fiction on the fly.

A Story Of Obsession

Close Encounters of the Third Kind starts off with a series of unexplained events from back when “conspiracy theories” meant the Bermuda Triangle, culminating with utility worker Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) watching a UFO go overhead, that’s soon joined by others, beginning an obsession with the extraterrestrials. Unable to get an image of a mountain out of his head, Roy keeps trying to recreate it, including out of his mashed potatoes, in a moment that everyone who saw the film tried to recreate at least once. Roy’s family, including his wife Ronnie (Teri Garr,) eventually leave because of his obsession, but though it costs him everything, Roy can’t let it go. 

As UFO sightings spread around the globe, the mystery deepens, from a three-year-old being abducted to a strange piece of music playing when the UFOs get close to humans. The army gets involved, and again, it’s a moment that seems like a well-worn trope today, but Close Encounters of the Third Kind was one of the first to show an area being cordoned off with a lame excuse, in this case, toxic chemicals from a train derailment. What happens next is proof that when sci-fi is done right, it can instill a sense of wonder and curiosity about the universe and our place in it.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind Is A Sci-Fi Classic

Almost 50 years later, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is considered to be one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, and its influence can be felt in everything from The X-Files to Arrival, but also in how we view UFOs and stories of alien abductions. Casting aside the thought of aliens as a hostile invading force, Spielberg instead showed the aliens as something truly alien and unknowable, with motives we can’t understand. It’s a film that’s not about conflict but communication.

At the time of its release, Close Encounters of the Third Kind received widespread praise for its almost childlike portrayal of an alien invasion that managed to be both mysterious and wonderous simultaneously. Both critics and the audience alike were in agreement that the final scene is one of the greatest moments in movie history; even today, the imagery has become so iconic that those who haven’t seen the movie will instantly recognize it. And it’s all backed by a John Williams score that stands among the legendary composer’s greatest work.

The Sequel That Never Was

Though it never reached the heights of Steven Spielberg’s other alien movie, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind was a blockbuster in its own right, and like the later alien film, Spielberg toyed with the idea of a sequel. The never-made film was going to lean into the government covering up alien encounters, but while researching it, Spielberg became frustrated over just how far the real government went to cover up stories and left it for later filmmakers to explore. It’s for the best that a sequel never even entered production, as it would be nearly impossible for even someone as talented as Spielberg to capture the lightning-in-the-bottle wonder of Dreyfuss’ performance as Roy.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is now a film that has been built up in the culture to such an extent it can be hard for later generations to appreciate how groundbreaking it truly was. The film’s deliberate, thoughtful pace moves slower than today’s alien invasion films, but for those willing to give it a shot, the dated special effects and trope-filled plot will still melt away into the night sky over Devils Tower.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is available through Video on Demand on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, and Apple TV.