Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977
Directed by Steven Spielberg · 137 mins · 1,935 views
Synopsis
Trailers
Reviews (81)
-
S
100 (35mm, Director’s Cut) If Jaws was the rise of the commercial blockbuster – albeit one with sharp, savage technical bravura and small character dynamics – then Close Encounters was the setting sun of abstract, sprawling, experimental science-fiction. Spielberg’s trademarks are all here in abundance (crumbling family units, cross-talking, sustained sequences of suspense) but the focus in this 1977 classic is primarily one of sculpture and confrontation, engagement and rapport. Spielberg communicates through universal methods of information – TVs, radio signals, air traffic controllers etc. – but deliberately keeps Roy in the dark to fend for his own journey, one formed via artistic creation and sculpting of visions and flashes of inspiration. Much of Close Encounters is hinged on the…
1,494 15 -
P
-
L
-
K
And on top of everything else François Truffaut is there for some reason
1,764 1 -
J
Oh so THAT’S where that scene in Monsters vs Aliens came from
3,406 1 -
J
What makes this science-fiction drama/conspiracy-thriller so special and poetic is that you can watch it as a kid (like I did) and simply go oh hell yeah UFOs are REAL and the government is LYING to us and we should go on an adventure to prove that there are cool little mischievous alien guys out there, and the movie is immaculately crafted (shoutout Vilmos Zsigmond, Douglas Trumbull + John Williams) in order to work on that exciting and satisfying genre movie level. But then you return to it as an adult and it is first and foremost a domestic horror film; one of the most heart-wrenching depictions of a family unit and home in the process of breaking down. A…
1,582 10 -
A
In the doc that precedes the 40th anniversary release, director Denis Villeneuve suggests the movie is a personal one for Spielberg beyond his obvious fascination with the material. He says the movie is about movie-making too, which struck me as a little trite – and cliche – in the moment. I mean, how many directors and their films has this been/could it be said about? And yet, watching this time, I was struck by Roy Neary’s journey from blue-collar electric lineman to obsessed artist, chasing the perfect representation of his vision regardless of how it alienates him from his family, friends, and co-workers – all of society, really. I never gave it a second thought before, but it’s notable that…
4,447 35 -
D
Oof, I’m ready for the blow back. Guys, gals, I really did not enjoy “Close Encounters.” It was way too long, kind of boring, and the story is nearly nonexistent. What’s going on here? Richard Dreyfuss is visited by aliens, goes crazy, and abandons his family to party with outer space little people. This is a timeless family classic? There is some stuff I enjoyed, like the scene in Dreyfuss’s car when he first is visited by the aliens, the mashed potatoes “This means something” scene, and the visual effects throughout the whole climax. But the rest of it… eh. I didn’t think there was any internal logic to the movie nor were the characters motivated by anything other than…
2,190 81 -
K
-
L
A movie about the importance of leaving your wife and kids in order to pursue your passion (to fly in a UFO).
4,496 4 -
CChristopher McQuarrie 8 月 23, 2026
“He says the sun came out last night. He says it sang to him.” In a scene toward the end of William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives, a film boldly confronting some painful realities of war decades before it was fashionable, an unemployed and unemployable veteran bombardier, played by Dana Andrews, finds himself wandering through a graveyard of B-17 bombers. Seating himself in the nose of a gutted warplane, he remembers the sensation of the engines starting before the aircraft taxis for take off; a feat Wyler achieves with remarkable efficiency through the use of score, camera movement and the audience’s imagination. Key to this sequence is a tracking shot that evokes the sensation of the dead B-17…
1,277 26 -
D
I find Spielberg a hit or miss and this is definitely a hit.
-
H
Great scenes that kept me wondering how the physical effects were achieved. The scene of Barry at home with his mum fending off the unknown as well as him opening the door was beautiful. Wasn’t too engaged by the plot around aliens but it’s not a subject matter I’ve cared much for in general.
-
A
Truly tested its audience’s patience, of which I, unfortunately, don’t have.
-
R
Hell ya lets all leave our wives and families to go on a UFO 👽🖖
-
G
Muito louco pensar que o pai de família aqui abandona a sua família para viver uma aventura extraterrestre e ainda traí a sua mulher. Não que isso seja a síntese do cinema do Spielberg, mas ele ser meio esse cara da aventura infantil e aqui ele descrever o pai como essa pessoa que nunca cresceu e na primeira oportunidade quer abandonar a família e viver uma aventura na terra do nunca e o modo a qual ele trabalha a ausência da figura do pai no âmbito familiar, isso sim e bem Spielberg.
-
T
Spielberg makes a surprising and small dip into horror towards the start of the film, but the grand mystery and the journey of our protagonist is the main course. Spectacular and grand with some real awe inspiring moments.
-
A
-
B
Well, I didn’t hate this nearly as much as I hate most of Spielberg’s vacuous slop. It was all a little polite though, no? I don’t want nice aliens. I want them deranged and ready to probe. Also: possibly the worst family in the history of cinema, and I’m factoring in the Leatherface clan. That Barry kid was INFURIATING. It’s the ’70s for fuck’s sake, slap that little fucker. I wouldn’t have even taken him back at the end. Go…
-
N
EVERYBODY JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN !!!! STOP FUCKING YELLING !!!!! cool music
1 -
N
Yeah bro just leave your family that’s chill✌️
-
L
ok so today i noticed françois truffaut plays a significant role in this. that’s so out of place but also fitting i love it. directors cut is the way to go in my book, it’s definitely not necessary to see the ships interior. yes, alienating oneself for a purpose beyond understanding. see what u did there. beautiful sci-fi 70s entry with dp vilmos zsigmond (love him since watching mccabe & mrs. miller) crafting some timeless magic on screen. when the shadowy…
-
M
o truffaut nesse filme endou a carreira de vários. DO do Do do do
-
AAWS_ 8 月 22, 2026
john williams love to bust out a dies irae doesn’t he
-
T
Bro didn’t hesitate to leave his family!
-
G
Got to see a 70mm print from Spielberg’s personal collection, it’s absolutely gorgeous.
-
V
Para el año que es tiene efectos especiales muy buenos y un misticismo alienígena muy bien logrado. Se me hace algo “random” que el hombre prota con la familia la abandone en un tris tras y le dejen irse de expedición por el cosmos pero bueno, que le vamos a hacer xD -VecnaMovies
-
K
Bro needed an excuse to abandon his family im crying LMAOOOO
-
A
Jävligt coolt att den är gjord på 70-talet. Lite väl lång och skrikig ibland, men ändå mäktigt
-
D
Bye Roy, you would’ve loved sat navs Movie everyday No.79
-
C
My first time seeing the director’s cut and yeah, I think it’s solid. Didn’t seem like much of a change over the theatrical release save for like a scene and a half. WHAT A BEAUTY THIS IS ON SEVENTY MILLIMETER. I fucking LOVE this movie. Jesus
2 -
J
Boyfriend made me watch this. Honestly, this movie is so annoying. Too much screaming in the 70’s. Cancel me, idc.
1 -
S
-
M
Close Encounters of the Third Kind shows how one man’s obsession leads him to actually discover what he wants. Revealing the aliens at the end gets the wonder of the aliens right and doesn’t give us an anti climactic ending. I don’t think Disclosure Day is a bad movie but Close Encounters of the Third Kind does everything better in its story. At the end you get this awe and wonder from both the scene and John Williams music that makes this movie so Spielberg.
1 1 -
B
I wish an alien would take me against my will the next time I agree to go golfing
-
P
Screenland 70mm!! And also a movie that benefited so much from that presentation. The whole thing feels like a big play set. Also the India scene is unbelievable. Just the scale of that moment is incredible.
-
J
Even better in gorgeous 70mm
-
CChloe Bowman 8 月 22, 2026
Spielberg, he’s just got such a Spielberg way about him. I felt SO bad for that mans family. Some of the most exceptional cinematography I have ever seen in my life. It looks otherworldly the whole time.
-
S
Cray cray!!
-
W
-
E
There’s just something about this one
-
I
Mi representación favorita de aliens en una peli! Que belleza esa última media hora 🌟.
-
T
-
A
-
G
Não aguento como o Spielberg realmente tem um hiperfoco em ETs… Os Estados Unidos nos anos 1970 têm uma aura assustadora (todos os anos têm, mas os 70s especialmente). Unir isso com essa temática intrigante de vida fora da Terra deixa tudo ainda mais amedrontador. Digo, ainda, que os efeitos especiais da época causam uma imersão muito impactante. Dito isso, fiquei com vontade de matar o louco desse protagonista quando ele começou a quebrar a casa, pqp.
-
S
Loved this! I always appreciate when they actually *come in peace* vs the alien invasion trope that has been played out so many times. Roy seemingly losing it and his family’s lack of understanding was heartbreaking, especially the scene where he just wanted to be held. Patriarchal stereotypes working hard against him in those moments. I also thoroughly enjoyed the synth / tonal communication attempts. It really did not matter, in the end, that the two parties understood each other, just that there was a clear effort to understand. Hard to imagine the US military and/or government actually operating this way, but hey. Super cool.
-
P
Glad I finally got around to rewatching this after disclosure day. Still don’t think its top tier Spielberg for me but so many iconic moments/shots from this film. So fascinating to go back and watch this after the Fabelmans as well. Underrated John Williams score and those final moments stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
-
J
spielberg sabe mesmo fazer um filme de aventura. de novo fico sem entender como eles produziam esses filmes naquela época. achei o design dos OVNI muito fodas, principalmente da nave-mãe que parece uma cidade no céu. trilha sonora boa demais, qualquer coisa que o John Williams faz é ouro. confesso que achei os personagens tão desinteressantes, quase gostei vendo o romance forçado dos protagonistas no final (sendo que um deles era casado e tinha 3 filhos). toda a parada do…
-
M
The coke sweat that permeates this movie is unreal. Incredible film about abandoning your wife and kids.
-
J
As someone who is very hot and cold with Spieling, I can definitely file this into the great Spielberg pile. It was so epic. So typically Spielberg emotional. But it was really good. A way better version of Disclosure Day. And I wasn’t even paying that good of attention.
-
J
70mm show at screenland armour. This one’s a ton of fun. Although it does drag a bit at times. probably could’ve been wrapped up a lil quicker
2 -
L
got it, in order to show emotion from my characters they must scream and yell and be annoying as hell. (Bars) what’s that first Alien’s Diet I need to be on that.
-
CCaroline Rose 8 月 22, 2026
Just absolutely beautiful. “Thats a $2500 globe!” will live rent-free in my mind for eternity.
1 -
J
Should have just gone straight to showing the lads Oneohtrix Point Never from the jump.
-
A
70mm – Director’s Cut (2025 print struck from digital negative of 4K restoration) “This means something. This is important.” Calling this one of the great metatexts about being a filmmaker has been said a million times and it might be a bit hyperbolic and dramatic, but it’s not untrue. If anything it’s one of the saddest and most personal films of the 1970s, especially in a post-Fabelmans world.
1 -
E
In teresting and well done, but this type of movie just doesn’t do a ton for me.
-
J
I know this is a movie that you’re supposed to love, but I really can’t connect to it all that much. Maybe because my parents made me watch it as a kid, telling me it was like Star Wars. It bored me almost to death and pretty sure it gave me a boredom trauma. It could also be because I find the main character extremely self centered without any development. I had the really nice experience to watch this movie…
-
V
Bye!
-
T
I physically cannot distinguish the two women in this movie.
-
NNick Ippolito 8 月 22, 2026
70MM showing at Screenland
-
C
Deu pra sentir que esse foi um filme muito íntimo para o Spielberg, que aproveitou do tema “contatos/encontros” para comentar sobre expressões artísticas e como isso nos toca em um nível muito pessoal. No filme, vemos vários objetos bélicos e militares de tempos passados reaparecendo, quase como se estivessem sendo descartados por esses OVNIs, e, enquanto isso, algumas pessoas muito específicas recebem um chamado, uma espécie de convocação, por meio de sons e imagens. De início, essas pessoas aparentam não…
-
D
As a soon to be first time father, I definitely viewed this rewatch through the lens of Roy leaving his whole family and was very bothered by his actions. Cool to see this on 70MM, tho! A beautiful print and phenomenal sound.
1 -
E
Creo se le notan los años a esta película: es caótica, desordenada, redundante… pero está tan bien dirigida! Y tiene unos momentos visuales y sonoros tan icónicos! Creo una película así no llegaría hoy a salas sin pasar por muchas notas de producción pidiendo regrabar escenas para explicar mejor la historia de x personaje, o cortar a François Truffaut porque “sobra” además de quitar buena parte del final porque “no vaya a ser que el público no lo entienda”.
-
I
For some reason the pacing, editing and music would sometimes transport me to Indiana Jones where I felt I like that film more. Regardless, this is actually a pretty fun film and the visuals when the aliens are around is fantastic. The abduction of the kid, that shade of red and the lighting was impeccable. It felt like it dilly dallied a little bit by the point of the family leaving him but the buildup to seeing the mothership actually…
-
S
First rewatch in probably ten years, and I think it still holds up. If I had to point to a single movie to sum up Spielberg’s whole career, it would be this. Still one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made.
-
J
Got to see one my dad’s favorite movies in 70mm with my dad! Great movie!
-
P
This movie is so weird because at a couple points especially near the end there are some sequences where you kinda sit to yourself wondering, “How the hell did this win so many awards?” And then there’s a sequence right after those previous sequences that makes you go, “Ohhhhhhhh, that’s why.”
-
A
Spielberg has made many great films but this is the height of his art. A perfect example of genre filmmaking. A domestic story wrapped in a beautiful sci-fi drama that blends suspense and awe.
-
R
Not Spielberg’s best film, but with the possible exception of The Fabelmans his most personal film. Roy Neary has his Road to Damascus moment and has his belief system shattered as he looks for meaning and purpose. He ultimately finds it. Along the way Spielberg expunges the breakup of his parents marriage, shows his skepticism of the government, plays with horizons, and puts on a lights and music show worthy of Fantasia.
-
Hhaymaddi3 8 月 22, 2026
Can’t believe I went there
-
O
Fuck it I’m on one at rock steady I’m logging this. Just lost to Eric in iPhone cup pong. About to sing karaoke. I love my friends, my short film played at the local theater yipeee!!!!!!
2 1 -
T
On 70mm @ Screenland on KC A new print of Spielberg’s preferred cut of the film is out in the wild. Probably to generate some newfound interest in the film in advance of 50th anniversary screenings next year. As we were walking out of the theater, Mac was sharing with me that she agreed with an overheard bit of sentiment about the last 40 minutes of the film being sounds and a bunch of people (and beings) just looking at each other. I don’t disagree and I also don’t care. It’s magic to me. What a film.
-
D
So much fun to see in theaters, especially on film! Richard dreyfuss the man you are oof
1 -
Ccosmosofcourse 8 月 21, 2026
Amazing effects, music, and final sequence. At the risk of sounding corny, Spielberg can really get you believing in “movie magic” all over again.
-
A
-
A
Beautiful movie. The blues in this movie are tasteful, and add an incredible layer of atmosphere. I really like the phantasmal approach to the aliens early in the movie, it’s of course a common in extraterrestrial cinema for aliens to be portrayed with horror, but the specific supernatural elements given to The Third Kind I really enjoyed. The Third Kind’s spacecraft were a great spectacle, again this movie just looks so damn good. The ships movements and visual flare hark…
-
V
Can’t help but think I would’ve enjoyed this way more if I saw the first two ‘Close Encounters’…🤔
1 -
A
dilf’s cake getting slapped with a ping pong paddle oh my god??? the solfège was epic such a visually wild and cool thing to witness, a feat of cinema for sure
2 -
L
“This is nuts…” You know, far too many movies are all about the incoming aliens. I like the fact that this is a movie all about how our lives can get flip-turned upside down. I’d like to take a minute just sit right there, I’ll tell you how I… you get the point. Last night I finally carved out the time to take advantage of the streaming service I’ve been paying eleven bucks for every month: The Criterion Channel! I’ve…
-
G
Tout allait bien jusqu’à ce que la rencontre ait lieu
-
B
Why the kiss tho
- Synopsis
- After an encounter with UFOs, an electricity linesman feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Writer
- Steven Spielberg
- Studio
- Julia/Michael Phillips Productions, Columbia Pictures, EMI Films
- Country
- UK, USA
- Language
- English, Hindi, French, Spanish
- Year
- 1977
- Runtime
- 137 mins
- USA15 Nov 1977
- USA18 Nov 1977
- Romania14 Dec 1977
- Germany05 Mar 1978
- USA14 Dec 1977
- Brazil24 Dec 1977
- Sweden24 Feb 1978
- Japan25 Feb 1978
- Denmark03 Mar 1978
- Argentina09 Mar 1978
- UK13 Mar 1978
- Netherlands13 Mar 1978
- Australia16 Mar 1978
- Spain17 Mar 1978
- Ireland24 Mar 1978
- South Korea25 Dec 1978
- Poland30 May 1979
- UK18 Sep 1980
- Hungary08 Apr 1981
- Netherlands16 Apr 1981
- Turkey20 Dec 1985
- Canada04 Feb 2010
- UK29 Aug 2017
- USA26 Nov 1990
- UK05 Jun 1992
Write a Review