Touch Me

By: Mariah Thomas

Touch Me is director Addison Heimann’s second film and is a story that blends the worlds of sci-fi, horror and comedy with an honest look into one’s trauma and addictions. While this movie may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it will hold your interest until the very end.

Touch Me delves into the world of aliens in a comical way. The film opens up with Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley) as she recounts her sexual experience with an alien to her therapist (Ashley Lauren Nedd). In a beautiful five minute plus long monologue, Dudley leaves you feeling chills as you realize the deeper layers that exist in this movie. Soon enough, Joey and her co-dependent best friend Craig (Jordan Gavaris) fall on tough times. The pair are in immediate need of money to fix a plumbing issue. Craig assures Joey he will ask his parents for money while she job hunts. However, neither goes according to plan. Joey has a run in with a coffee shop owner Karen (Paget Brewster) and loses the job before she even interviews. Feeling at the end of her rope, Joey accepts an offer when Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci) invites her over. Until this point Joey has leaned into vices, missing the touch of Brian. Joey and Craig spend a few days with Brian and his assistant, Laura (Marlene Forte). In a haze of alien sex, jealousy and betrayals the remainder of the film is a winding road of comedy and horror through a sci-fi lens.

An immediate favorite scene for me was Olivia Taylor Dudley’s alien sex. As comical as that sounds, it is beautifully shot with practical effects. While a sexual film at many points, it is done so in tasteful and visually beautiful ways – from a seduction dance given by Laura to an additional tentacle sex scene between Craig and Brian. The vulnerability and ability from each actor to give every moment their all is what really makes the film.

Addison Heimann is the director and writer of this film. Inspired by elements of his own life from struggling with depression to a friendship break-up, this film is a beautiful passion project. He has talked about this film also being an homage to his love for Japanese cinema of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. For any creative endeavor, when there is true love and passion behind something-it shows. That is definitely the case here.

The tagline for Touch Me is “two codependent best friends become addicted to the heroin-like touch of an alien narcissist who may or may not be trying to take over the world.” That is the simple way of describing it. Stripping back the comedy, this is also a film about sexual trauma and navigating through it. This will not be for everyone, but it does hold your interest. If you have an hour and forty minutes, it is a great way to fill the time.