‘Out There’ review: Intermittently charming Welsh sci-fi relies on a committed cast including Michael Sheen and Aneurin Barnard

Dir/scr: Simon Ryninks. UK. 2026. 80mins

Welsh cinema has been on something of a roll over the past year with the modest commercial success of Effi o Blaenau (2026) and Madfabulous (2026), among others, and a homecoming reunion for Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones for the filming of A Visit To Grandpa’s. Simon Ryninks debut feature Out There should sustain that momentum as it transforms a teenager’s quest for full disclosure about her father’s death into an intermittently charming mixture of family heartbreak and science-fiction heartwarmer. A game cast of new faces and old reliables add to the appeal of a film that should secure some domestic interest following a world premiere at Edinburgh.

 Serious themes are pinned to a story that often feels half-baked

Wales’s reputation as a hotspot for UFO sightings adds a definite Spielbergian vibe to Out There. In the film’s 1994-set prologue, Ministry Of Defence scientist Lew (Iwan Rheon) and his 11 year-old daughter Maz (Lola Waters) watch the stars and speculate on the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. Ryninks seems at his most confident and sure-footed in this sequence, blending newsreel footage, eyewitness testimony of close encounters, the words of Carl Sagan and the warm, textured cinematography of Catherine Goldschmidt to create a curtain-raiser that fits entirely within the wonder of the universe.

Five years later Maz (now played by Nerys Amber Stocks) is trying to figure out the truth behind her father’s mysterious death. She holds herself responsible, but also grabs at the comforting notion that he may have been abducted by aliens. Discovering the truth of what happened and healing her family’s grief requires an investigation that grows to involve her closest friend Little Elis (Tom Moya), conspiracy theorist Bryn (Aneurin Barnard) and psychic Shifty Gruff (Michael Sheen) who is still milking interest in the Caradoc UFO sightings from five years earlier.

Out There becomes a tale of fathers and daughters, loss and grief with these serious themes pinned to a story that often feels half-baked. The bumbling army personnel and gormless authority figures trying to thwart our heroic truth-seekers pose little genuine threat and almost tip the film into Scooby-Doo territory.

The saving grace lies in the care and craft that Ryninks brings to the material. His vision of the rundown seaside town that Maz calls home has echoes of Martin Parr’s photography, while the resourceful effects use lighting, framing and forest settings to create moments that might have come from Close Encounters. The soundtrack of pop hits from the era (The Flying Pickets, Super Furry Animals, Stereophonics, Yazoo etc) adds an nostalgic pull for older viewers, whilst the sometimes juvenile tone ensures that it mostly remains a family-friendly offering.

Among the many promising qualities that Ryninks reveals is his ability to work with actors, and the reliable cast is the jewel in the crown. Stocks may seem a little too old for her character but she brings heart and vulnerability to the indomitable Maz, while Moya impresses as her timid, milquetoast best pal whose priority is being home in time for tea rather than solving the mysteries of the universe. Barnard brings a gung-ho energy to lonely conspiracy theorist Bryn, and Sheen is a delight as Shifty Gruff – all beads, scarves, dreadlocks and bearded bonhomie, he looks every inch a New Age Madame Arcati. Overall, the cast’s commitment to the film’s emotional beats ensures that Maz’s journey remains believable and touching.