Xeno (2025) Movie Review: An Offbeat, Heartfelt Alien Story

Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” is a nostalgia-laden adventure that brims with hope. It’s not hard to gauge why Spielberg’s classic inspired thousands of offshoot stories about found family tropes and the power of friendship. “E.T.” understands the anxieties of childhood that come with the anticipation of growing up. The adults in this world are perceived as cold, disconnected from the wealth of emotions that children experience, but some, like Keys (Peter Coyote), have managed to keep their inner child alive. This tension between the rigid practicality of adulthood and the fluid emotionality of childhood makes “E.T.” special, as it ultimately sides with the latter and keeps every instance of tender hope alive.

Matthew Loren Oates’ “Xeno” is clearly a loving homage to Spielberg’s flick, but what keeps it from being yet another copy is its willingness to dabble in cold, hard cynicism. That isn’t a drawback by any means, as the film’s world faithfully mirrors our own, where sweet innocence coexists with the unchecked cruelty of those who fear what they don’t understand. Art can be viewed as escapism, which encourages us to suspend our disbelief, fueling our urge to seek out happy endings that reality cannot accommodate or afford. But Oates’ “Xeno” doesn’t indulge in this fantasy, as it stays true to its raw, authentic core. Sometimes, something pure and unblemished is trampled, ushering in senseless tragedies that defy justification.

The world of “Xeno” is perceived through the eyes of teenager Renee (Lulu Wilson), who struggles with parental neglect and an acute loneliness that only an adolescent can feel. Her mother, Linda (Wrenn Schmidt), does everything she can to deal with the grief of losing her husband, but her decisions inadvertently push Renee further away from feelings of acceptance. Linda’s boyfriend, Chase (Paul Schneider), is an abusive prick, and Linda’s hesitance to leave this man behind leads to uncomfortably dangerous situations that leave Renee vulnerable. During one such event, Renee ventures into the desert alone to cope, but stumbles upon the strangest thing: a scaled, wounded alien that seems to be in a lot of pain. Overcome by empathy, she frees it from its chains, but returns soon to help him with the wounds.

This alien, whom Renee names Croak, is a creation of the Jim Henson Creature Shop, rendered with direct inspirations from genre standouts like “Alien” and “The Thing.” Croak’s design is rather beautiful: it evokes fear with its transparent, spiky teeth and dark, scaly back, and anyone who sees such a creature approaching would’ve reason to assume that it’s malevolent. But few, like Renee, are able to discover its hidden aspects, such as the fact that its predatory eyes soften when it trusts another, or that its scaly back vibrates like that of a feline whenever Renee sings. Croak, who is very much a predator meant to hunt, is also a protective friend who forges a psychic bond with the only human it trusts. This duality makes the creature feel doubly real, and the film’s insistence on using practical effects works unambiguously in favor of this sentiment.

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Xeno (2025) Movie — A still from “Xeno” (2025)

But this paradise soon shatters when adults come snooping, as the government deems the creature vicious and wants to capture it for further testing. We have Jonathan Keyes (Omari Hardwick), who seems to be an inversion of Spielberg’s counterpart. This adult operates on paranoia as opposed to the childlike wonder that Keys nurtures in “E.T.” Here, Keyes is a far cry from someone who wants to protect children, as he is seen hurting Renee without remorse, and shows little empathy when she frantically insists that Croak isn’t a danger to society. Keyes represents the harsh, vindictive collective of societal judgment, who would undoubtedly view an alien as a threat without logic or reason. After all, the instinct to hate and breed mistrust extends even to fellow humans, so what empathy can such people expend for a creature that looks like a predator?

“Xeno” luxuriates in the quiet moments of friendship between Renee and Croak, and how the two manage to bond and coexist despite facing every societal barrier imaginable. There’s deep trust and acceptance here, as Renee doesn’t want to domesticate Croak but protect it while still allowing it to be what it is meant to be. This acceptance is ingrained in her character very early on, reflected in her loving affection for unconventional pets like snakes or tarantulas, whom she treasures without fear. In this world, humans betray each other and turn on a whim, but these non-human entities, including an extraterrestrial being, seem more trustworthy and dependable in comparison. How is a teenager supposed to march into adulthood and stomach this distasteful truth? Renee has no choice, which plays immensely into the tragedy of this alien tale.

Wilson’s fierce vulnerability as Renee singlehandedly carries “Xeno.” Her presence remains complex and engaging throughout, no matter who she shares a frame with. Veterans like Hardwick are compelling for sure, but Wilson’s performance is truly fascinating and multifaceted, especially opposite Croak, who evokes sympathy with his shenanigans. Such unfiltered emotion paves our path towards inevitable heartbreak, but “Xeno” tackles these dark, heavy themes with more grace and depth than one would expect.