Fantastic Fest 2026: INTO THE SKY (2026)
Image courtesy Ace Of Farts Productions
Comedies have been in a weird place, at least in terms of movies, for a while now. Mainstream comedies either follow nothing but clichés and tropes or are the latest in a franchise that doesn't need a sequel. People bemoan the passing of old romantic comedies, and it's the genre efforts that haven't found a place in this space to call home. In many ways, that's what makes the new film INTO THE SKY so fun.
It's the kind of movie that knowingly sees the standard fare you'd expect in a studio comedy while not being afraid to get weird with it. And bloody. It gets a whole lot bloodier than you might be expecting in the third act.
When we first meet Bobby (Sam Richardson), it's in a less-than-ideal situation. He's butt-ass naked, lying face-first on a putting green, with his back covered in blue goo. While most people would understandably be freaked out by the occurrence, Bobby sees it as an annoying inconvenience. Let's just say he's an old hat when it comes to getting abducted by aliens.
To say it puts a damper on his daily life is an understatement. Anytime he's abducted, he finds himself dropped cities, if not states, away. After his latest incident, Bobby arrives back home, but instead of finding his wife, Brittany (Fiona Rene), in the living room, he finds Nico (Sofia Black-D'Elia). Turns out, in his absence, his estranged wife has turned their house into a rental property. Confused and more than a little irate, Nico senses a kindness in Bobby and makes him a deal: if he helps pretend to be a CEO trying to steal her away from planning her brother's (Jon Rudnitsky) wedding, she'll get in touch with Brittany for him.
Of course, just as he seems to be getting things back into order, he's abducted again. Only this time, when he is dropped off, he's done so with a fellow abductee, Jaden (David Cross). As creeped out as he is, knowing someone else shares his plight is comforting. Plus, since Jaden is a little more seasoned in these adventures than Bobby, they can team up and hope to figure out what's going on with them.
The first thing to take from INTO THE SKY is just how solid the performances are. Sam Richardson delights, as always, gliding into the leading-man role with ease and never losing his quirkier side. D'Elia is perfect as his foil, just as lost as Bobby is and using his predicament as a chance to find herself. While David Cross plays the most David Cross character imaginable, with a gee-shucks attitude where you're just counting down the moments until you assume he'll naturally explode.
Writers/directors Drew Mylrea and Evan Buxbaum aren't afraid to lean into their weirder sensibilities, even to the point where "weird" becomes the story's default setting, causing the axis of the film to be askew. Characters that would be fan favorites in studio features are relegated to the wings. Instead, the majority of its energy puts a premium on the smaller moments, exploring how broken people navigate the space between admitting they need help and finally letting go. Yet that might be how INTO THE SKY stands out from so many other smaller genre comedies.
To its credit, INTO THE SKY is unapologetic in that it's very much a vibe movie. If you aren't picking up its particular wavelength, it might not hit you right. There aren't that many movies that are willing to mix such disparate elements the way this one does. A movie where aliens aren't the focal point, even when they're central to the plot. Where a mystery hangs over the main character and they refuse the call to adventure because they don't feel like it.
That might not be earth-shattering, but in a cinematic landscape where comedies try to be complacent rather than attempting to make something of worth, going left of center is what gets INTO THE SKY noticed. Come for the alien abduction and Sam Richardson. Stay for a movie that's willing to smear a bunch of blood on white walls during an open house, all in the name of comedy.
