Forget everything you think you know about first contact stories. The upcoming indie sci-fi comedy Touch Me is here to twist the genre into hilarious, mind-bending knots, and ShowtimeSpot has your exclusive first look at the bizarre encounter at its core. While big-budget alien flicks like Project Hail Mary dominate theaters, this Sundance-premiering gem offers a far weirder and more intimate take on meeting extraterrestrials.
A Host With the Most... Appendages
The film follows co-dependent best friends Joey and Craig, whose living situation hits rock bottom after a catastrophic sewage disaster. With nowhere else to turn, they reluctantly seek shelter with Craig's ex, Brian, at his sprawling estate. Brian agrees, but there's a monumental catch: he's not human. His placid human facade hides a truly alien biology, complete with extra appendages brought to life with charmingly old-school practical effects.
Brian's strangeness doesn't stop at his physical form. His touch induces overwhelming, ecstatic pleasure in humans—a power he's not shy about demonstrating on his new guests. The film's central question becomes a desperate scramble for survival: can Joey and Craig escape his grasp, or are they destined to become pawns in a larger, more sinister plan?
From Sundance to Your Screen
Touch Me marks the sophomore feature from writer-director Addison Heimann, following his 2022 horror film Hypochondriac. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last year, where Heimann openly embraced its outrageous premise. "My favorite thing is when I say there's an alien that you f*** who removes your anxiety and depression, everyone's like, 'I want that,'" the director told Collider. "I'm like, 'Yeah, me too. That's why I wrote the movie.'"
This blend of high-concept sci-fi and dark comedy is carving out a unique niche, much like other genre-bending hits that have found passionate audiences. Fans of shows that mix the supernatural with sharp humor, like the ever-popular Ghosts, or offbeat streaming comedies such as Prime Video's Deadloch, will likely find plenty to love in Touch Me's peculiar charm.
The exclusive clip showcases the moment of "first contact" within Brian's home, highlighting the film's unique tone that balances unease with absurdist comedy. It's a promising glimpse at a movie unafraid to be genuinely strange.
Touch Me will be available to rent or purchase on digital platforms starting April 7. For more exclusive previews of what's coming to screens big and small, stay locked on ShowtimeSpot. If you're craving another exclusive first look at something completely different, check out our reveal of spellbinding new Magic: The Gathering cards.
