Review ‘On the Trail of UFOs: Night Visitors’ : Strange Happenings at a Colorado Valley Ranch
1091 Pictures just released the new documentary On the Trail of UFOs: Night Visitors on April 5th from writer/director Seth Breedlove. Breedlove has a long resume full of docs on mysterious subjects ranging from Bigfoot, the Mothman, Bell witch, to UFO phenomena. Usually, I can’t get enough when it comes to paranormal and unexplained documentaries.
That’s not to say that the market isn’t saturated with ghost hunting and alien shows. But you just have to sift through to find the ones with the best content or at least the most charismatic host. Host Shannon Legro (On the Trail of Bigfoot), best known for her podcast ‘Into the Fray’, serves as both the narrator and co-interviewer in the feature. This is her third time working with Breedlove on his investigations into strangeness. Despite the monotone delivery of her narration, she captures the somber tone portrayed here.
Their latest effort takes viewers to Colorado, in the San Luis Valley, to research the cattle mutilations plaguing the Miller Ranch and surrounding areas. This strange phenomenon gained notoriety in the ’60s when reports of livestock being found dead under bizarre circumstances began circulating. It’s been linked to insurance fraud, feuding families, pranks, hoaxes, and actual alien involvement.
Witness Tom Miller recounts that there have been losses to his livestock since 1996. Averaging out to about once a year, he finds cattle drained of blood and mutilated with surgical precision. Besides the mutilations, San Luis Valley is a known hotspot for things such as disembodied voices, abductions, ghosts, and even Sasquatch sightings. As one resident puts it, “we all sleep with a loaded shotgun near the front door”, and it’s no wonder, given the reported history of the valley.
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On the Trail of UFOs: Night Visitors conducts a series of interviews with several people in UFO research. MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) state director Katie Griboski says in the area there are more than 250 reported sightings yearly. However, her team rarely investigates these claims unless it’s a compelling case. Author Richard Estep speaks to the “many instances” of unexplained occurrences and data collected over the years. He also has a sweet ‘Mortal Kombat’ arcade console in the room he’s being interviewed in, which was a nice change from the motel where the rest of the interviews are conducted.
Police, firemen, and military personnel are always significant gets because it lends credence and authority to the claims. Legro interviews a former officer who remains anonymous, even though he’s not on the job anymore, which takes aways some of his credibility. However, in contrast, the most unsettling interview is with a gentleman who goes by Watson. He tells the story of being awoken in the night by visitors telling him they “came back for him.” You can clearly see he truly believes it, and that this experience still haunts him.
On the Trail of UFOs: Night Visitors is a visually beautiful documentary. Colorado is very picturesque, and the sweeping drone shots of the mountain areas and valley itself are breathtaking. This is a filmmaker who knows how to capture a location. Despite the cliché slow-motion walking to the car and staring off into the wilderness shots that we’ve expected from these shows, they always look great.
The use of YouTube clips and recreated animatics of UFO sightings, although intriguing, can get confusing because what you see onscreen often doesn’t match what the conversation is about. Actual evidence of the reports being discussed or footage from their own experiences rather than random stock footage would have made the film more compelling. I feel if the area is such a hotspot for UFO activity, it could have been something to see an actual-time night shoot just to see what happened. Even if nothing is captured on film, it always adds a level of suspense and excitement to other such films.
A little diversity in the interviewees would have gone a long way to giving two sides to the claims. If you’re trying to make a non-bias documentary, it doesn’t hurt to have opposing viewpoints to let the viewer make their own judgment. Apart from Christopher O’Brien, a seasoned investigator into cattle mutilation, stating that multiple cases can be explained, but there are a few that keep him up at night. Everyone else interviewed is all in on black helicopters, hidden government bases, hollowed-out mountains, and Alien interference.
On the Trail of UFOs: Night Visitors is a well-presented documentary on a subject that most have at least heard of but never really explored in such depth. The stories are very compelling, with the vast landscape, heavy military presence, and conspiracy theories surrounding the Colorado area, you can see how the tales could capture the imagination of a community. Much like Skinwalker Ranch and Chestnut Ridge stories, there is little new information presented for those who find this subject fascinating and have watched other unexplained documentaries. For those not as steeped in the mythology and history of UFO phenomena, this will be a great way to get a foothold on the subject and offer some avenues to explore. 2.5/5
On the Trail of UFOs: Night Visitors is now available to rent or own from 1091 Pictures. Check out the trailer below and be sure to follow ScaryNerd for all things horror, sci-fi, fantasy and everything in between.
About Post Author
K.B. O’Neil is an artist, writer and musician living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He loves movies, books, video games, snuggling his two pups and all things Horror. When not working he can be found getting into adventures with his wife and their new daughter.