Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Area Q.'

Written by Scott Edwards

In a world where there are cameras everywhere and we carry GPS trackers in our pockets, there is still the fear of a person going missing. While it is easier to find where they are last seen, it is still difficult for investigators to find a missing person. But what if there was something other than violent people behind these abductions that cannot be tracked? It is frightening enough to think that you might lose a loved one to someone with bad intentions, but it would be worse if you lose them to something that is unexplainable.
​
Taking time away from his journalism job to try and find his son, Thomas Mathews needs to get back to work and calls his old boss. With the only story being available for the grieving father being about alien encounters, Thomas is hesitant to take it, but he needs the paycheck. Flying down to Brazil and the small town of Area Q., Thomas is greeted by his guide and translator, Elisovaldo, who is more than happy to let the out of towner know about everything that has happened in the area. Being an extreme hot spot for U.F.O. activity, it is almost guaranteed that Thomas will at least see something.

Traveling to the outskirts of town, Thomas takes a look at the ground where a U.F.O. was reported to have landed. Noticing that the ground is almost twenty degrees warmer than the surrounding area, there is something else that has caught the reporter’s eye, the mountain by the property. Remembering that his son made him a drawing of himself and the mountain before he disappeared, Thomas is starting to see that there might be more to this encounter story than he previously thought. Next on his list, he visits a young woman who has been cured of cancer by the invaders and thinking of them more as gods that are here to do good for the people, Thomas is starting to believe that these encounters are the real deal.

After hearing more stories from around town, Thomas is continuously drawn back to the flat top mountain and gives it another go during the night. Being approached by a stranger who knows everything about him, Thomas is shocked to see that another reporter who is covering the same abductions is hiding in the shadows. Talking to Valquiria about what he thinks, she gives him all of the rational reasoning behind what the locals are seeing, yet Thomas is far from sure. But after talking to the detective that is working on his missing person’s case and hearing the same account of strange lights before his son went missing, Thomas knows that there is only one place that will provide the answers that he needs.

This film was far less frightening than most of the abduction movies that I wind up watching, but none the less it is pretty darn good. Focusing more on the positives that can come out of the abductions rather than being cut to shreds by the aliens, it is another take on what might be out there. The love that Thomas has for his missing son is put front and center in this story and throughout you can tell that he is able to keep his mind open as to what is really happening. I really liked the guide, Eliosvaldo throughout the movie, as he had all of the stories and was even able to provide some of the answers. With strange events happening all around, a missing local legend with special powers, a story that ties together and plenty of personal accounts, this movie focus on the brighter side of things, even when everything is looking down.

---