Star People (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

With a sudden and mysterious opportunity to prove that the UFO sighting from when she was a child was real, Claire (Kat Cunning) travels to the barren outskirts of her Arizona hometown. With unforeseen hurdles, however, Claire’s hopes for meeting the Star People that shocked the world years ago seem to be slipping away. 

Star People is a pretty straightforward science fiction thriller that ultimately uses the idea of aliens to drive the plot. Ultimately a macguffin, those titular star people do little more than appear via reference from the series of characters present in the film. Star People promised to be one thing, but viewers’ expectations are quickly subverted, and something wildly different becomes the primary focus of Writer-Director Adam Finberg’s film. 

Does the inability to make good on the promise of extraterrestrial appearances hinder the film? I suppose to a degree it does, as those viewers who tuned in for this aspect specifically will find themselves frustrated and likely disappointed in what Star People ultimately becomes. So, what is Star People? The film is ultimately a social commentary that hopes to use aliens as an introduction into the idea of acceptance and societal progress. 

The dry, harsh landscape plays a pivotal role not only in the narrative, but in developing the tone of Star People. An ominous tone creeps in from the opening seconds of the film, and it never subsides. However, the deeper we get into the film, the more prominent that arid landscape becomes, strengthening that tone and effectively immersing viewers in Claire’s story as she searches for answers (often to no avail). Star People does a spectacular job of setting the tone and being cohesive in this regard. This cohesion ultimately becomes the most appealing aspect of Star People, as it not only keeps viewers dialed in, but expresses the directorial chops of Finberg as well. 

I think it’s important that Finberg establishes the tone the way that he does, as there are aspects of Star People that I found tedious, and I ultimately placed the onus on Finberg. Whether it be the series of intertwining plots or the ineffective pacing, there are certainly pieces of Star People that just don’t work. The film loses its footing from time to time–but, again, it’s that aforementioned tonal fluidity that drives the film and reminds viewers of Finberg’s abilities. I certainly hoped for more in regard to the storytelling, but it becomes a bit convoluted as the film moves forward.  

Whether or not Claire ever proves that aliens exist is unimportant–and by the time the film concluded I nearly forgot that this was her purpose all along. Star People ultimately left me with more questions than answers, with the main question being “what was all of this for?” Again, I feel that the purpose of this film is to comment on the ongoing social issues (particularly those pertaining to immigration), but, even with a definitive conclusion to the film, I’m not sure that Finberg effectively gets his point across to viewers. 

There are some truly challenging aspects of Star People, things that steal from the film’s luster and compromise its ability to effectively reach viewers. However, I feel that it’s fair to say that the film does enough to be labeled successful and for viewers to look out for future projects by the film’s head man. Star People has a lot going for it, but some aspects of the thriller just don’t land the way that I had hoped. 

Written & Directed by Adam Finberg. 

Starring Kat Cunning, McCabe Slye, Connor Paolo, Eddie Martinez, Bradley Fisher, etc. 

6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE