Micah (Mia Danelle) is a music enthusiast and record store employee. She is dating Shannon (Will Tranfo), has a good family, and is probably the last person expected to be “soul swapped” with a soundwave alien lifeform named “Sound”. That Alien, Sound blends light sci-fi with offbeat comedy, following a soundwave alien inhabiting Micah’s body in search of what it means to be human. Writer and director Brando Topp adds indie flair to a “fish out of water” or alien out of space premise, all while Micah is stuck listening in the stratosphere.
The premise alone, That Alien, Sound is a compelling take on the body-swap Sci-fi. Sound has only experienced humanity through radio waves- talk radio, audiobooks, and music. She has built an entire lexicon of human emotion completely secondhand. But now, Sound is eager to see it live. To feel the music in her chest and see the instruments forge the notes in person. As Sound navigates Micah’s life, Micah’s loved ones soon decide to get Micah back. Sound needs to see music on a massive scale, a music festival. It’s her chance to break into the world, to no longer be a spectator in the universe but to live the life she’s listened to for decades.
Mia Danelle oozes whimsy as Sound/Micah. Beyond starring in the film, Danelle serves as an executive producer, and her creative involvement is evident in every scene. From the way Sound interacts with Micah’s family at lunch to the sense of wonder at every new discovery. Danelle grounds the film’s high-concept premise with a performance that balances physical comedy and genuine curiosity. The opening soul swap features stellar comedic commitment, yet Danelle matches comedic timing with the earnest self-exploration of someone living for the first time. The collaboration between Danelle and Topp allows the audience to buy into the world without relying on sci-fi specifics.
Topp populates That Alien, Sound with quirky characters, straight from the worlds of modern indie comedy. Characters underreact to complete turmoil and overreact to sometimes the smallest changes. The whole film carries a degree of whimsy within a world of Sound’s self-discovery. Yet the tone shifts as quickly as Sound’s attention span. Scenes joking about Micah “doing Molly” are followed by scenes in which Sound pees herself and her family discovers their daughter might be an alien. The first thirty minutes lean heavily on repetition, Sound explaining her existence to people in Micah’s life, but it dulls the momentum of an electric opening. While introductions make sense within the world, the bits and exposition water down a strong premise.
With introductions to new characters and Sound’s quest for a music festival, That Alien, Sound showcases a cross-section of Gen X hangout influences and modern indie storytelling. Characters riff on film history, pop culture critics, and music culture freely. The film channels early Kevin Smith and Richard Linklater (closer to Slacker than Dazed and Confused), filtering those influences through a modern, festival-ready sensibility. Topp allows pop culture to exist beyond set dressing, informing the zeitgeist of Sound’s humanity.
That Alien, Sound feels like a concept that would thrive as a short film. Everything with the characters screams comedy, but the film dares to be something more; to add existential drama within the space of Sound’s being. Drama paired with Danelle’s performance elevates That Alien, Sound. The human contemplation of Sound expands beyond a clever premise. However, the excess of exposition in the first act and jarring tonal shifts make the film more of a mixed bag than the greatness a short film could offer. That Alien, Sound will find its champions (and it should), but for all its imagination, the film needs restraint, not an expanded run-time to capture its deepest potential.
