Alien Autopsy

The film opens with Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield recounting their experiences to documentary maker Morgan Banner. They frame the entire story as a testimony, setting up questions about authenticity. The frame underscores the tension between documentary storytelling and sensational claims.

In 1995, Ray and Gary travel to the United States to search for Elvis memorabilia to sell on their London market stall. They meet Harvey, a former US Army cameraman, who promises access to material that has been unseen for years. Harvey shows them a silent black-and-white film of Elvis performing live, hinting at more valuable footage to come.

Harvey returns with a film from 1947 depicting the autopsy of an alien purportedly killed in a Roswell crash and offers to sell it for $30,000. Ray travels back to England with the plan to finance the purchase, eager to leverage the sensational find. The prospect promises a huge payoff but also serious risk.

Back in England, Ray convinces Laszlo Voros, a Hungarian art and drug dealer obsessed with crop circles, to fund the $30,000 purchase. Voros agrees to back the venture, drawn by the promise of large profits. With Voros on board, they prepare to bring the film to market.

Returning with the film, they discover it has degraded from humidity and heat and is unwatchable. To avoid repercussions from Voros, they decide to recreate the film rather than show the damaged reel. They base the reconstruction on Ray's memories and assemble a lifelike alien using a mannequin and butcher's meat, staging the scene in a friend's living room.

They shoot the recreated sequence on a Bell and Howell spring-wound camera and deliver a copy to Voros, who believes it to be genuine. The hoax is designed to be sold to other venues for substantial profits. The plan hinges on maintaining the illusion of authenticity across future screenings.

Voros demands 80% of the profits, pushing the duo into a dangerous power struggle. Voros is killed by a green Land Rover while standing naked in a crop circle, sparking rumors of CIA involvement and implying the stakes are higher than they realize. The murder both removes an obstacle and deepens the conspiracy.

Ray and Gary travel to Argentina to promote the film, followed by reporter Amber Fuentes who seduces Ray. Amber tracks down Harvey and pressures the team to keep him anonymous, prompting them to stage an interview with a homeless actor playing Harvey. Amber remains skeptical about whether the footage is authentic.

The pair become convinced that some of the original 1947 footage might be recoverable through professional restoration. They view the results, hoping for proof, but the restored material fails to convince them to continue the project. Ultimately, they bury the film and resolve not to pursue the hoax any further.

Back to the present framing, Ray and Gary reflect on the ethical costs and implications of their hoax as Morgan Banner watches. The documentary maker's doubt mirrors the audience's lingering uncertainty about the footage's authenticity. The timeline closes on a cautionary note about mixing sensational storytelling with truth.