Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Despite title, sci-fi tale not for kids; swearing, violence.
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Kids vs. Aliens
What's the Story?
Written and directed by Jason Eisener, KIDS VS. ALIENS starts off with a group of Canadian middle-schoolers making a home movie with the help of their young director Gary's (Dominic Mariche) teen older sister, Samantha (Phoebe Rex). When a trio of cool teens led by local bad boy Billy (Calem Macdonald) convinces Samantha to stop hanging out with her little brother and his goofy friends, Gary is heartbroken -- and angry -- at his sister's betrayal. Since Gary and Samantha's workaholic parents have gone out of town and left them alone for Halloween weekend, Billy convinces Samantha to let him host a "small" party at her house. But as the party gets out of control, Gary and his pals -- who've been exiled to his room -- plan their revenge on the older teens, only to be thwarted by an alien invasion.
Is It Any Good?
This crude, unevenly paced alien-invasion adventure targets young-at-heart adults, kids at unsupervised sleepovers, or families who think it's funny when kids are foul-mouthed jokesters. Based on the short film "Slumber Party Alien Abduction," the premise of Eisener's tribute to "simpler times" when siblings and pals made home movies in their backyard is really thin: A hormonal older sister betrays her little brother's trust right before aliens kidnap a house party full of underage kids. It's somewhat promising at first, but the dialogue is so reliant on coarse language that it stops being novel by the 50th use of "effing" in the first 15 minutes. There's no world-building to explain the nature of the alien arrival and little characterization to develop why Samantha and Gary's parents would think it's appropriate to leave their 16-year-old daughter in charge for a weekend. The parents (Jessica Marie Brown and Jonathan Torrens) are so awful that Dad literally takes a call while Gary is in the hospital to apologize for being temporarily delayed because he's dealing with "family s--t." Suspension of disbelief is fine when it comes to extra terrestrials, but the depiction of these parents strains all credulity.
The slim production values work in Gary's movie-within-a-movie sections, but the creature work is straight out of a 1960s B-movie. The old-school humanoid aliens with giant heads look more like something out of a vintage theme park than a 21st century film. But ultimately they're secondary to the family drama playing out between the siblings. And the human antagonists -- Billy and his crew -- are worse than the aliens. They're completely one-note; it's clear from the moment Billy spots Samantha that he's a manipulative jerk, and his treatment of Gary and his friends is indefensible. Kids vs. Aliens does offer a few lighthearted laughs, but overall it's a movie that had more potential than substance. Even at just an hour and 15 minutes, it feels simultaneously unfinished and overlong.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence and language in Kids vs. Aliens. Do you think it was all necessary to the story? How does it impact the movie's appropriateness for kids/teens?
Discuss the popularity of movies and TV shows about groups of kids who band together to fight aliens/supernatural creatures. How does this film compare to other similar stories?
How do the characters in the movie demonstrate curiosity, courage, and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?
How do the main characters develop over the course of the story? What lessons do they learn?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 20, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : February 18, 2023
- Cast : Dominic Mariche , Phoebe Rex , Calem MacDonald
- Director : Jason Eisener
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : RLJE Films
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Run time : 75 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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