Communion is a peculiar beast, as it is both a horror and science fiction film, while also being somewhat of an autobiography. The movie concerns Whitley Steiber, a famous author and the writer of this picture, who, once upon a time, was supposedly abducted by aliens. This film chronicles that time in his life, detailing how it unfolded, the reasons behind it, and its impact on those around him.

Starring the ever-wonderful Christopher Walken as Strieber, the man’s performance is all over the place, not because he was bad in any way; the material simply called for him to give the performance of a lifetime. He was down, he was up, dreaming and delusional, steadfast and sane, and every emotion in between. It is hard to say whether the role was intended to be played that way or if Walken simply did as he pleased. At times, Walken would give it all, and during other moments, he looked as if he were disengaged. All of it made for a strange bit of schizophrenia, and one has to wonder, if it was a faithful portrayal of Streiber, how his wife was able to live with him. For the most part, the film was carried by Walken as the story was simply not that engaging. The basic plot was solid enough, but the execution was lacking and ultimately became quite tedious. The rest of the cast was able and did what they could with the material; Lindsay Crouse, for one, as the suffering wife, but there needed to be a little more to it all, and it was not there.

When it came to the horror and science fiction the film would sport, it would be little of the former and just a bit of the latter. There was some tension in the air throughout, the atmosphere growing a little heavy and creepy at times as Walken’s character began to dream or hallucinate. Those moments when he found himself in the company of aliens would raise the fear factor just a touch until the scene played out and ended up either falling flat or being somewhat ridiculous. For a man who thought or believed he was being abducted by aliens, instead of giving his audience a serious take on his story, it all ended up being a little silly. That being said, the special effects used throughout the film were quite decent, and the aliens looked good, even though they also looked relatively harmless.

Like everything, some people love this movie, while others do not. Numerous aspects enhance the film’s strengths, while a fair amount detracts from its overall appeal. The one thing it does do, by the time it is all said and done, is make the audience wonder. Was it all true, or was it just a story? Is Streiber a madman, is he playing the viewers, or is it all true? Being a biography of sorts, one must assume that Streiber is telling it as it is. However, given the end sequence with the aliens, it becomes so absurd that it makes one think it is all a joke. Still, as far as Christopher Walken goes, the man does a good job here, and if someone is looking to find something a little different featuring him, this movie is definitely it.

2.5 out of 5