The UFO Incident

The UFO Incident

Year: 1975

Runtime: 97 mins

Language: English

Director: Richard A. Colla

HistoryHorrorDramaRomance

In the early 1960s, an interracial couple undergoes hypnosis, which brings to the surface a hazy memory of a mysterious encounter on a deserted road. As fragments of the event coalesce, they become convinced they were taken by extraterrestrials, forcing them to confront the trauma and each other.

Tense
Bittersweet ending
Emotionally heavy
Medium intensity
Slow pacing
Moderate complexity

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The UFO Incident (1975)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The UFO Incident (1975). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1960s

The events unfold in the 1960s United States, a decade of social change and rising interest in UFO phenomena. Public institutions and researchers probe memory and perception through clinical methods, while government programs edge into private lives.

Location

United States

Set in the United States, the story centers on a couple's road trip interrupted by a mysterious craft. The investigation shifts between home life and official channels, including military interest via Project Blue Book. The setting places the events within a national context where ordinary citizens become part of a larger government inquiry.

🇺🇸 United States 🛸 UFO setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:58

Main Characters – The UFO Incident (1975)

Meet the key characters of The UFO Incident (1975), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Barney Hill (James Earl Jones)

A devoted husband and postman who endures a traumatic memory lapse after a UFO sighting. He experiences physical symptoms and guilt from his past, including issues related to race; hypnosis becomes his route to recall the events and make sense of them. His calm, steadfast love for Betty helps them confront the unknown.

🧠 Memory 💥 Trauma 🧭 Identity

Betty Hill (Estelle Parsons)

A social worker who documents nightmares and internal distress following the encounter. She shares the troubling experiences with Barney, and her resilience helps them push through fear. Her bond with Barney acts as a source of strength during the psychological investigation.

🌙 Nightmares 💪 Resilience 💞 Partnership

Dr. Benjamin Simon (Barnard Hughes)

A psychiatrist who advocates hypnosis as a means to uncover repressed memories. He guides the couple through sessions and interprets their experiences with clinical objectivity, while acknowledging the personal histories that color their memories.

🧪 Science 🧠 Psychiatry 🛡️ Ethics

General James Davison (Dick O'Neill)

A United States Air Force general involved in the investigation of the couple's report, representing official interest in UFO sightings. He embodies authority and the balancing act between public duty and private testimony.

🎖️ Authority 🧭 Investigation 🗂️ Government

Examiner (Jeanne Joe)

A clinical examiner who evaluates the couple’s accounts within the framework of an official inquiry. Her role underscores the procedural nature of gathering testimony and confirming credibility.

🔎 Examination 🗒️ Documentation 🧬 Credibility

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:58

Major Themes – The UFO Incident (1975)

Explore the central themes of The UFO Incident (1975), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧠 Memory

Memory is portrayed as a fragile, fragmentary record of trauma that can be distorted by fear and suggestion. The couple’s recollections surface through hypnosis and dreamlike sequences, challenging what actually happened. The narrative treats memory with care, showing how memory recovery can aid healing.

🔬 Evidence

The film juxtaposes mystery with science, pitting personal experience against institutional scrutiny. Dr. Simon uses hypnosis and observation to unlock hidden memories, while the Air Force's Project Blue Book represents a methodical attempt to verify sightings. The tension between belief and empirical explanation drives the drama without offering simple answers.

💑 Love

Barney and Betty's relationship anchors the story, illustrating trust and devotion under extraordinary strain. Their partnership gives them courage to seek truth while facing medical and governmental scrutiny. The film leans on their bond to suggest healing is possible even as memories remain murky.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:58

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about uncovered trauma like The UFO Incident

Stories where forgotten memories resurface to shatter reality.If you liked The UFO Incident's exploration of repressed memories and psychological trauma, you'll find similar stories here. This collection features movies where characters undergo hypnosis or investigation to recover lost memories, often with disturbing and life-altering consequences. These films share a tense, psychological mood and a focus on the fragility of the mind.

psychologicalunsettlingsuspensefultraumaticintrospectivehauntinguneasy

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically follow a linear but deliberately paced investigation into a hidden past. The central conflict is internal, as protagonists grapple with the return of suppressed memories that challenge their understanding of themselves and their world. The journey is often isolating and fraught with doubt, both from the characters themselves and those around them.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared focus on the theme of memory repression and recovery. They create a similar viewer experience of psychological unease and suspense, using a slow unraveling of truth to explore heavy themes of trauma, violation, and the search for validation.

Relationship dramas under strain like The UFO Incident

Couples facing extraordinary crises that test their love and sanity.For viewers who appreciated the marital strain and enduring love in The UFO Incident, this section highlights movies where couples face incredible adversity together. These dramas explore how trauma can both fracture and fortify a bond, often featuring a slow pace, heavy emotions, and a focus on character dynamics over action.

melancholictraumaticpsychologicalintrospectiveheavybittersweetanxious

Narrative Summary

The plot revolves around a couple who experience a shared, isolating trauma. The narrative unfolds slowly, focusing on their attempts to rebuild their lives and trust in each other amidst doubt and psychological damage. The central arc is the evolution of their relationship, which may be strengthened or shattered by the ordeal, often leading to a complex, bittersweet ending.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their core premise: a relationship as the focal point of a high-stakes drama. They share a similar mood of melancholy and tension, a slow pacing that allows for deep character exploration, and an emotional focus on love, resilience, and the scars left by shared suffering.

Unlock the Full Story of The UFO Incident

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The UFO Incident Summary

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The UFO Incident Summary

The UFO Incident Timeline

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The UFO Incident Timeline

The UFO Incident Spoiler-Free Summary

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The UFO Incident Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The UFO Incident

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The UFO Incident (1975) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

The UFO Incident (1975) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

The UFO Incident (1975) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow