January 13, 1996, changed the lives of many Brazilians in the town of Varginha. After a reported UFO allegedly crashed in the fields outside of town, three young girls report seeing a creature. Dark gray with large, red eyes, they knew it couldn’t be human. After telling their mothers, they alert the police. Confusing some residents, the military responds and blockades the area.
A member of the military police who restrains reportedly captures the creature with his bare hands and delivers it to the local hospital. It is said he died just weeks later of a mysterious illness. This investigation of the Varginha incident led by James Fox seeks to put witnesses to the crash and creatures back in the places they were in 1996.
This documentary is pure infotainment for most of its length. While some interesting factual elements come up from time to time, most of Moment of Contact involves us listening to confused retellings and watching people trying to find locations based on landmarks that no longer exist—or perhaps never did. James Fox wastes our time like this again and again in the mistaken belief that seeing the entire investigation’s raw footage will somehow strengthen his argument. This film is not for skeptics.
While I tried to keep an open mind, how quickly accounts of what is supposedly the same being and UFO differ made me believe less and less that this incident was of extraterrestrial origin. I usually enjoy UFO and Paranormal investigation content, even as a skeptic myself: If nothing else, there is usually an interesting or spooky story to hear. At nearly two hours, this movie is far too long for how little content it delivers. I remember Unsolved Mysteries or a similar series doing a more interesting and compelling study of this incident in less than thirty minutes. Only the most ardent of UFO believers will enjoy Moment of Contact. Even some among them may find the actual content uncompelling. Not Recommended.
Where does Moment of Contact belong on public library shelves?
Moment of Contact belongs on infotainment shelves or beside other UFO and Extraterrestrial investigation titles.
What instructors could use Moment of Contact?
Professors studying modern Brazilian folklore may be interested in using some interviews in this documentary.