User reviews

Stories of UFOs, ETs and the government coverups associated with them have become commonplace in today's culture, in everything from specialty cable TV series to Coast to Coast AM radio to episodes of The X-Files, with narratives that are all remarkably and consistently similar. And now director James Fox's new documentary has added its voice to this growing chorus of material on the subject, exploring the alleged 1996 crash of a UFO in Varginha, Brazil and the supposed escape of two extraterrestrial beings in the wake of that incident. Those already familiar with stories like this may not find this one especially revelatory, but those new to this subject matter are likely to see it as a well-organized, thoroughly explained accounting of an event that has become all too common over the past half century, especially in Brazil, a hotbed for this kind of activity. What's perhaps most impressive about this offering is the tremendous corroboration that the filmmaker and his team of investigators have amassed from an array of sources, including firsthand witnesses, military officials, medical professionals and first responders, along with the commentary of noted ufologists. Admittedly, there are a few sequences on which the presentation of the material becomes needlessly repetitive and could stand some judicious editing, and Fox's on-camera enthusiasm, though understandable, could still stand to be toned down a few notches. Nevertheless, the director has put together a production that comes across as highly credible and eminently convincing, telling a story that the world truly deserves to hear more about, especially from the official sources that have deliberately sought to quash it. After years of mounting anecdotal evidence and sustained conditioning worldwide, humanity is ready for the truth - and it's high time we heard it.

I am a big fan of documentaries and this documentary film meets everything I expect from one, perhaps shedding some light onto an interesting events of first contact in Brazil.

Unfortunately, despite lots of collaborating eye witness accounts, it was a bit underwhelming to not have any feeling of conclusion at the end.

As a documentary filmmaker, I kept thinking of how differently I would have attempted to conduct some of the interviews had I been making Moment of Contact. Of course I wasn't present so perhaps it simply wasn't possible, but I suspect it may have been.

For example, I would have wanted to conduct the interviews where more than one witness was present, separately and independent of the others, rather than have them at the same place, same spot, same time. I think that would have felt more credible and made it more interesting to compare the different testimonies for any variations or differences. There did seem to be some attempt to do that in at least of the interviews after the fact.

However, I realize that when making a documentary in particular, time is always limited and restrictive, especially if multiple interviews or different locations are required.

I gave this documentary a 7 Stars rating for its work and structure, since taking a lot of interviews, and history and details and making them into a flowing story can be challenging, but I placed it only into my Pretty Good Movies list which is usually only for 5 to 6 Stars, instead of my Highly Recommend Movies list which is 7 to 8 Stars.

Mainly because the value of this film to me as a filmmaker and documentary film creator is higher than what it would be for someone I might recommend the film to who doesn't have a history or experience in making documentaries.

That said, if you enjoy documentaries, then you'll probably watching the Moment of Contact moderately enjoyable and interesting.

I've always been sceptical about aliens visiting earth, or that the evidence of their visits has been concealed by our governments, although I have remained open to the possibility that my belief may be wrong.

Having watched this documentary, I can honestly say I've changed my opinion.

There are too many independent witnesses, giving very similar descriptions of the events surrounding this encounter, for it to be idly dismissed. All of them convincing and many of whom held key, or professional positions at the time. This cannot be coincidence and you have to base your beliefs on the evidence presented, even if that means changing your opinion.

This documentary has convinced me enough to make that change . I'm now a believer!

I really enjoyed this documentary. It felt very real and you really feel the witnesses emotions. I've always been fascinated with UFO's and Aliens and this just proves to me once again that it does exists. I've always envied those who have had some sort of encounter but after watching this, I don't think you're ever the same and not sure if I would want that hanging over my head.

I felt a high sense of sadness for these beings who were unfortunate to fall in the hands of humans.........

If you want a good UFO docu, then this is a must watch with a lot of credible witnesses who share their stories.

James Fox sets the benchmark for communicating on this topic with the way that he works like a dog to find the key witnesses and put them front of the camera, and then just lets them have their say. The witnesses are numerous and diverse, and together plot out in detail what appears to have been a crash of an anomalous craft and capture of the beings that occupied it. All of the witnesses seem like ordinary, honest people with no reason to lie. In one situation there were even three witnesses who testified about what they had seen together.

Like many people who have started following this topic in the last couple of years I'm nowhere near ready to make conclusions, but the evidence that there is a core of reality to this topic is now piled pretty high.

Man, this was disappointing. I thought at least they would have tracked down some real videos, photographs at least documents by now. But nope, nothing new. And there are so many more cases in Brazil and South America in general that they should have at least mentioned. And some of the best stuff is buried in the ending credits, why? The biggest miss of all was not talking to diplomats and looking for some retired american military who would have been stationed there at the time. Even a clerk at the embassy would have been interesting to see the body language. This case is totally legit and needs some real investigation with new data not some emotional interpretation. They could have drawn parallels with the Mage case of just a few years ago where there was also extraordinary military movement and American presence.

I waited a long time for this documentary and I really wanted to get into the new evidence. First no eyewitness drawings of the alien seen by the 3 girls, the thing that really hits home for me is seeing first hand drawings. The X-ray technician could of showed what he saw in a drawing. They showed a few recreations of the x-rays but it went by to fast. One picture of the alien was shown and it was the same one shown from past shows. The doctors family was not a good sell on what they saw,,, again why not at least have them draw pictures so we can see all the members drawings together to compare them. He had all three girls together and didn't really spend enough time with them. The person who saw the debris from the crash was never really explained in detail, very short sequence. I was disappointed in this movie.

Updating my review from at 7 to a 9. I've re-watched this movie a few times now and I think my review below is a little harsh. I think we all expect too much from an evidence perspective. This is an excellent testimony-based account of something non-human that really happened. I commend James on his diligence and perseverance here. I stick by my assessment that it could've been a bit shorter, but I do understand the desire for the dramatic background music, etc...

The moment of this film that haunts me is the description of the being crying like a baby.

This is absolutely worth a watch. Something happened in Varginha that, if provable via video evidence, will change our civilization permanently.

James, I personally apologize for the harshness of my initial review - my expectations were too high.

Original review: Just another bunch of eye witness testimony and questionable imagery. It was intriguing and moderately entertaining, but there's really nothing new to see here. All of these alien encounter documentaries are fascinating, but not really ground breaking in any way. I do appreciate the efforts to revisit such historic events like this, but the same old formulaic format is getting pretty stale. I'm sure it's significantly difficult to put enough footage together for a full length film, but this documentary could've easily been less than 30 minutes and still just as entertaining. I'm also certain that some of these folks in Brazil actually witnessed something unexplainable. Maybe one day we'll know more, but not today. Thanks for the efforts.

I would always look for a more logical explanation than aliens. This film comes across as a ufo version of ghost hunters. Lots of speculation and eye witness accounts. We all know how wrong our memories can be. I find it far more plausible that a terrestrial aircraft crashed, maybe military, and for what ever reason it was covered up. A CIA plane? Military aircraft? Use your imagination. The rest is a mixture of chinese whispers, speculation and all out lies. If you are desperate to believe, and gullible, you will swallow this up hook line and sinker. Entertaining enough documentary, but don't expect any proof or evidence that can't be explained by anyone with even the slightest level of scepticism.

I'm casually interested in UFO phenomenon but don't have strong belief either way. After the recent JRE episode with James Fox I decided to watch this doc.

Tl;Dr there is nothing new in the doc that wasn't discussed on the pod. I was a disappointed.

The evidence is not as compelling as I would have thought and a lot of testimony raised questions in my eyes.

For example, one family, who doesn't wish to be shown, claims they saw a craft hovering at a very low altitude over the neighborhood for 10 -15 minutes like it was searching for something in a grid pattern. A big problem I have with this is they lived in a population-dense, urban area and it was broad daylight. There should be dozens, if not hundreds of eyewitnesses of the craft in that case but they only had a few.

The girls who allegedly saw the alien, lived in the same neighborhood and didn't see the ship but it would have been over the area at the exact same time. They also didn't mention the military blockade even though it was literally like a block away. How are they able to see the alien, go home and return to the site if the military had closed the area and were searching.

On a positive note, most of the witness testimony is compelling. Unless these random Brazilians are brilliant actors we have never heard about you can't deny they truly believe they saw something. But whether they actually did is another story. A big problem with hyped stories like this is the story becomes part of the myth of the city and people aren't unbiased and create narratives around the myth.

This is a very well constructed documentary. If you don't know anything about this case, I recommend you to search for some news before watching it ( there's a documentary made by Marco Antonio Petit where you can see all the authorities worried about the incident but still trying to hide the facts of what the citizens saw those days). Only people who already heard about this history knows that it's a joke all around the country (not because there isn't facts, but because Varginha is a very small city and everyone thinks that a "creature" would not appear there). Fox show us several facts and witnesses clearly shocked by what occurred. If you didn't like it you probably don't understand how our country works, and how our people is really emotional and although we are a poor country, we don't need your attention, we don't want money. We just want to share with the world the events and why we are so impacted by them. There are several people who is trying to forget what they saw until today, and making fun about it don't help at all. It is serious, and it really happened.

Intriguing story but, my god, he should have had Netflix produce the documentary. They told this story so poorly it reminds me of the amateur documentaries my Spanish teacher used to have us watch in the early 2000's.

They told the story in such a confusing way and did a poor job of mapping the events and witnesses. Extremely disappointing as this is a great story with a ton of evidence backing it up. If it were told in a different manner more people would be more willing to watch it and more witnesses would come forward.

I was really looking forward to seeing this but it ended up just putting me to sleep. Hopefully more people come forward and Netflix takes an interest in it and makes part 2.

Saw this promoted on Rogan, and despite the annoying, Biden-like whispering, I ordered the documentary on Prime.

I love the story and believe what I am seeing -- I just wish I was seeing a lot less of James Fox in this documentary. There is great authenticity to the reporting, why tank it with a host of unnecessary shots, reaction shots, and reverse shots of the director who fell in love with himself? The answer to protecting your sources is not putting the camera on yourself, every time.

I think we owe it to ourselves and our planet to support these narratives, but I also think we need to return, somehow, to good documentary style reporting which takes the reporter OUT of the story.

I like to imagine a world where stories tell themselves, where directors sit contentedly, on the proper side of the camera ... can you take us there, James Fox?

The documentary is valid to whet our curiosity and mobilize humanity to demand more information from the authorities. It's amazing how the US is always involved in ufology matters. I live in Brazil, I was in Varginha and the people are afraid to talk about it. It could have been a hoax to develop tourism in the region or a real third-degree close contact.

It is impressive that after the improvement of smartphones with excellent cameras, the appearance of UFOs and other supernatural phenomena ceased. We know that there are confidentiality agreements between Brazil and the USA regarding national security matters.

It's such an inspiring, incredible story and I believe in it because of the witnesses, who with authenticity, chose to share their story with the filmmaker; handing over a golden opportunity to the creator who had every opportunity to create an exciting, well edited piece, taking more of a supportive role in the telling of these events. I don't want to see the filmmaker's reactions or wasting precious film time about his feelings. I love that his passion got him there, but felt he failed to create a platform that invokes the viewer deeper into the stories of these brave men and women. Still, worth a watch if you believe we aren't alone.

I have enjoyed all of the UFO documentaries from James Fox.

His style is to let the story unfold from the voices of the witnesses. That same approach is taken here with the case of the Varginha, Brazil UFO crash and subsequent recovery of the craft's occupants.

Fox is able to locate many of the primary witnesses to the event and interview them.

While watching the film I felt a sense of deja vu as the story unfolds, as there are many aspects of the case that will remind you of the Roswell incident.

Having had a UFO sighting myself, I have always been fascinated by stories that involve more than just lights in the sky. Very nicely done.

Incredible film. Fox has been a UFO issue purist since at least his Out of the Blue documentary. His filming and editing technique is award worthy and his work on this film is another winner.

If you don't understand how real this topic is after watching this...well, I don't know what to tell you! The witnesses are obviously telling the truth and James does a great job capturing their emotions which were strong. This is a must-watch film and brings some fresh and undeniable evidence to the topic and is completely enjoyable to watch!

James' relentless pursuit of UFO and ET proof is inspiring and I'm looking forward to his next film.

Old story most of this info is online but for those who have not heard about this case ,it's worth a go .

The main problem is the same old , same old . No evidence all just second hand stories .

Although the story is interesting what it fails to deliver are the facts .

I am waiting for the conclusive documentary that ends with the viewer saying ok we actually are making headway in this ufo question because we have conclusive answers.

These documentaries are capitalizing on the wow factor chasing down leads and recording accounts , hi tech ghost stories .

Enough already move the ball forward . What is it? What is the plan to find out ? What is the projected time line .

Like religion it's the rehashing of fantastic stories .

This documentary is one of the best i have seen, but there is ALOT more to discover from this incident. The quantity and details from witness testimonies is mindblowing and feels personal. Something REALLY strange happened 1996 in Varginha, Brazil, which this documentary truly proves.

This documentary competes with "The Phenomenon" and "Ariel Phenomenon"!

No matter your standpoint on UFO/UAP, aliens and extraterrestrials, alot of things has happened in our history and keeps happening. If there is something out there, our modern society will expose it within the near future. The truth has become inevitable!

The subject of "Moment of Contact" documentary deserves as much attention as the Roswell incident. The convincing testimonies of people who are not UFO enthusiasts always adds to the credibility. However, the low-budget documentaries always lack convincing credibility. To be more persuasive, input from experts and a thorough examination of scientific theories (such "theories" are researched and not what is the popular meaning of the word "theory") with evidence is needed. Among them, a preexisting article by Jennifer Chu of MIT News, titled "A Sign That Aliens Could Stink", which discusses a potential indicator of extraterrestrial life, would have added certain value to the film but was not included.

The documentary, "Moment of Contact", deserved more funding and post-production efforts. Despite this, it remains a significant film for not only UFO enthusiasts.

I was very familiar with the event and story prior to watching the film...and although some old footage was repeated in this film, I sincerely think that James Fox did an exceptional job at highlighting the credibility and seriousness of what happened...all while bringing forward old witnesses and new witnesses...even those who didn't want to be recognized. The case of Varginha, Brazil is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic in the field of this important phenomenon. Something happened in 1996, and it was definitely not conventional.

James Fox continues to create amazing documentary films on the most significant subject in human history. It's a 10 on 10 for me!

The Moment of Contact documentary project lacks value. I was unable to force myself to the end, and this says something. The director appears frequently in the frame without any logical reason, leading me to question the documentary's purpose. While the film may seem like investigative journalism, as a journalist myself, I believe it falls short of that label. A proper investigation should have more effort put into it than just presenting already-known names. He needed to find some documents that would create some question marks, even if they don't prove anything.

The documentary's journalism also comes into question. Mr Fox appears to condition himself to believe whatever is presented to him, making it difficult to trust the accuracy of the documentary. He claims he did not initially believe the story, but during the filming, this did not seem to be the case. He doesn't challenge anyone in any way. In my opinion, there is no real investigative journalism in this film.

If you are not aware of the stories presented in the film, you may find some value in it. However, the documentary could have been condensed into a Twitter thread. The director's travels to Brazil added nothing to the final product. Ultimately, the Moment of Contact documentary may not be worth watching if you are already familiar with the stories presented. Even if you don't, I would definetaly read the free-online articles instead.