Aarcflick

A child befriending an alien isn't a new story, but in Xeno, writer-director Matthew Loren Oates makes two key decisions that explain why this one feels different. The first is that the film takes this idea very seriously, as it deals with more mature issues than one might expect, and the consequences of this friendship can be quite serious. The second is the alien itself, which isn't the adorable, cuddly puppet one might expect from a description of the basic premise. No, this alien being looks like something straight out of a horror movie: with its sleek, predatory appearance, shiny dark scales, sticky yellow blood, and black pools of eyes. We haven't even described the alien's mouth yet, which protrudes in such a way that it's the first thing anyone viewing it head-on would notice.  Director: Matthew Loren Oates Writer: Matthew Loren Oates Stars: Lulu Wilson, Paul Schneider, Wrenn Schmidt Technically, the teeth are even more prominent, jutting at irregular angles...