‘Foil’ Review – Close Encounters Of The Quirky Kind

Two former best friends reunite for a camping trip into the desert that turns into a close encounter of the third kind. Foil is a wannabe buddy comedy that spends most of its time keeping its two friends apart. The film offers a few laughs and two charming performances but dodders when it comes to pacing. The film has an alien element, but it sees-saws until a quirky twist in the third act. However, most audiences will see the twist coming – the truth is out there, so to speak. The effort is apparent, and when the story focuses on the two friends, there is lift-off, but most of the time, Foil is foiled by its ambition and lack of cohesiveness.

Foil begins with the introduction of struggling filmmaker Dexter (Zach Green). He is returning home for his high school reunion, despite living in Hollywood for ten years, and has only one credit to his name – a soft-core porno. This element quirkily comes into play later in the film, but at the start, we meet a filmmaker searching for a great idea. Also on the scene is the nomadic Rex (Devin O’Rourke), Dexter’s former best friend. Rex works odd jobs and is a semi-conspiracy theorist. Both decide they would much rather reconnect on a camping trip than partake in the high school reunion festivities. They hit the road and find themselves in the desert.

However, each has contrasting visions for their camping trip. Rex hopes to stake out and find a rumored site of a UFO crash, while Dexter looks for the serenity to inspire ideas for his movie pitch. Seemingly both on separate courses, they part ways when two nomadic strangers cross their paths. First, a camper, Tom (Chris Doubek), claims to have a piece of foil from a UFO wreckage. This piques Rex’s interest, and he follows this talkative fellow back to his campsite, leaving Dexter alone. However, Dexter is not alone for long when another traveling stranger named Rambo (Brian McGuire), who shares a love of movies, makes himself at home at the campsite. 

This dynamic is where the film tries to make its mark, and there is a clever attempt. Two former friends, seemingly at odds with one another’s priorities and plans, find themselves going their separate ways. In each other’s absence, foils to one another’s interests enter the scene. Dexter and Rex are unique characters, and their banter, particularly at the start, is clever and witty. This odd couple pairing is never given enough time to share the spotlight, likely depriving the story of the traditional buddy-comedy beats. 

The two friends match the strangers; Tom and Rambo seem too good to be true, and of course, it is. The identity of the two is ridiculous and fully expected. Foil straddles the line between answering the alien question or playing the story for a laugh. It ultimately commits to the former but takes one too many false starts to get there and does so in a quirky way. Of the two stranger characters who cross paths with Dexter and Rex, Rambo is the most memorable. He gives off a Christopher Lloyd vibe while dropping movie references and affecting a biker drifter personality.   

Ultimately, the film leans into an otherworldly trajectory, reuniting the guys as they contend with out-of-this-world quirky aliens. They rekindle their friendship and rehash recurring jokes like Dexter needing a place to crash. Foil has a certain silly charm, and when it sticks the landing, it is pretty enjoyable. However, the pacing is in another galaxy, and at some point, the story dithers. The focus strives for a buddy comedy while also being a fun alien romp. The results are tiring, and the impact is negligible. There is fun to Foil, but it gets lost in the stars of its own design. 

Foil will be available On Demand on May 10, 2024, courtesy of Cranked Up Films.