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Xeno

Play trailer 2:11 Poster for Xeno PG-13 Sep 2025 1h 43m Sci-Fi Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
85% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
A teenage girl and a terrifying alien form a powerful bond after a chance encounter in the desert, sending them on an adventure that questions the nature of good and evil. As government agents close in, the girl discovers the alien is not the extraterrestrial she expected. Compelled to protect her new friend, she uncovers a secret that could change the fate of both their worlds.
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Xeno

Critics Reviews

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Tara McNamara Common Sense Media Sep 23
3/5
Brings a modern-day chill to the space-buddy genre. Go to Full Review
Abbie Bernstein Assignment X Sep 22
B-
Part E.T., part monster movie, part domestic drama. Go to Full Review
Michael Clark Epoch Times Sep 20
5/5
It’s a straight-up hybrid of “Starman,” “The Iron Giant,” and “E.T.” If you view it through an “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” lens, the movie more than makes up for its lack of new ideas with a lot of grit, pluck, and a huge heart. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Sep 19
Despite the similarities, “Xeno” (2025) is no “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) and is a solid entertaining movie with enough bite to make the stakes feel high. Go to Full Review
Debopriyaa Dutta High on Films Sep 19
4/5
What keeps it from being yet another copy is its willingness to dabble in cold, hard cynicism. That isn’t a drawback by any means, [as it is a world where] sweet innocence coexists with the unchecked cruelty of those who fear what they don’t understand. Go to Full Review
Luna Guthrie Collider Sep 19
8/10
We need more creators like Matthew Loren Oates, and more movies like Xeno, to help those in-betweeners feel acknowledged, and important enough that people still want to make films just for them. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Paul Sep 26 Good update to ET story with hard edges. See more Bethlee S Sep 24 This movie is confused about what tone and audience it wants to have. It's trying to be both an edgier E.T. and a sci-fi horror movie. SO many cliched characters, and even the few "likeable" ones are impossible to care about because nothing they do makes sense. I was actually surprised at how turned off I was by Xeno because the trailer made it look pretty cool. See more jesse v Sep 22 so imagine ET but with a xenomorph. But like, there is no real government urgency other than a crew of 10 people, one of which is obsessed with a toy car and talks in riddles. Don't get me wrong, the main character is EXCELLENT at her role, but time moves so slowly that she neglects her pets, parents, and even school towards the end. You can tell the movie was contractually obligated to focus on only 6 characters that can talk. I wish the xenomorph did at the end honestly. See more GuyFiery Sep 21 Think if E.T. was a little more horrifying. And the government was not so nice. This was like that .It held up pretty well, especially with yhe end credit scene. See more robert l Sep 21 Great film. Loved the way it explored grief. See more H W Nov 11 The acting from the lead girl is all over the place which is the fault of the director. The editing is pretty weak. (The crying out of only one eye thing is also terrible direction.) The alien is never seen well lit or completely. Which makes it look like they had either no money for effects, a skilled light crew or a really bad creature designer. It tried but is really disappointing. Stereotypical characters from A-Z. Taking such a horribly destructive alien and trying to make it decent while also saying it doesn’t know how to feed itself is too crazy all the way around. I wanted to like it. Went it positive but walked away really disappointed. This is definitely not a movie for kids. See more Read all reviews
Xeno

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Movie Info

Synopsis A teenage girl and a terrifying alien form a powerful bond after a chance encounter in the desert, sending them on an adventure that questions the nature of good and evil. As government agents close in, the girl discovers the alien is not the extraterrestrial she expected. Compelled to protect her new friend, she uncovers a secret that could change the fate of both their worlds.
Director
Matthew Loren Oates
Producer
Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Shana Marie, Jesse Jensen
Screenwriter
Matthew Loren Oates
Distributor
Blue Fox Entertainment
Production Co
Tabooma, Heartbeat Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Some Strong Language|Violent Content/Bloody Images|Thematic Elements)
Genre
Sci-Fi, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 19, 2025, Limited
Runtime
1h 43m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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