Wavelength (1983)

Wavelength (1983) – Synths, Telepathy, and Secret Alien Kids in a Canyon

Wavelength (1983) is a cult gem that swims in the same strange waters as Close Encounters, E.T., and The Andromeda Strain, but with a shoestring budget and a punk soul. Directed by Mike Gray — better known as the co-writer of The China Syndrome—this moody, minimalist sci-fi flick tells the story of a musician (played by Cherie Currie, lead singer of The Runaways) and her new boyfriend (Robert Carradine, fresh off Revenge of the Nerds) who stumble upon a government conspiracy involving telepathic alien children being held in an underground lab near Los Angeles. What unfolds is less action-packed than your usual '80s alien encounter and more of a cerebral, synth-laden road trip with a serious conspiracy-theory aftertaste.

Cherie Currie and Robert Carradine Ride a Sci-Fi Wave You Didn't Know You Needed

What sets Wavelength apart isn’t just its plot—it’s the atmosphere. The soundtrack by Tangerine Dream pulses like a cosmic heartbeat through the film, giving even the stillest scenes a sense of otherworldly tension. Currie and Carradine’s chemistry is surprisingly sweet, and the aliens—fragile, bald, glowing-eyed beings—feel both eerie and innocent. There’s no grand space battle or CGI overload here, just quiet moments of wonder, dread, and moral ambiguity as the couple wrestle with helping beings that may or may not belong on this planet. A rare VHS-era curiosity that’s criminally hard to find online, Wavelength is a slow-burn sci-fi with a hypnotic charm. If you like your UFOs lo-fi and your thrills existential, tune into Wavelength.