Sometimes you buy a movie because you’ve always meant to watch it. Other times, you buy one because the price is right, and you know it’ll eventually come around in your collection.
That’s exactly what happened with Paul.
As I continue working backward through my iTunes library of more than 400 movies, Paul was the next stop after The Menu. While they’re completely different movies, they have one thing in common—they’re both films that are much better experienced from beginning to end than through random clips or summaries.
One thing I want to make clear about these recommendations is that I’m not here to spoil the movie for you. There are already plenty of reviews online that will walk you through every scene, every joke, every twist, and every ending. By the time you’re finished watching those videos, you’ve practically watched the movie without ever sitting down to experience it yourself.
That’s not what I want these recommendations to be.
I’d rather tell you why I think a movie is worth watching and let you form your own opinions. Different people notice different things, and your own experiences shape what resonates with you.
The Pegg and Frost Connection
One thing that immediately stands out about Paul is that it was written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
A lot of people automatically associate those two with Edgar Wright because of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End. Those three movies deserve to be talked about together because they share not only Pegg and Frost but also Edgar Wright’s directing style.
Paul is different.
It was directed by Greg Mottola, which gives it a different rhythm, but you can still clearly recognize Pegg and Frost’s writing throughout the movie.
In some ways, I actually think Graeme and Clive feel closer to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost themselves than many of the characters they play elsewhere. They’re lifelong science-fiction fans, convention-goers, collectors, and friends whose shared hobby suddenly becomes real in the most unexpected way.
The friendship is really what carries the movie.
Seth Rogen as Paul
Seth Rogen voices Paul, and the role fits him naturally.
Recently, The Boys had some fun with Rogen’s public image by joking that all of his stoner movies were simply a way to build a brand so he could sell ashtrays. Whether you’ve seen that scene or not, it’s a good example of how willing he is to laugh at his own public persona.
That same laid-back personality works surprisingly well for Paul himself. Instead of making the alien mysterious or intimidating, the movie presents him as someone who’s sarcastic, funny, and thoroughly tired of being treated like a government secret.
Science Fiction Made by Science Fiction Fans
One of the reasons I enjoy Paul is that it was clearly written by people who genuinely love science fiction.
The movie isn’t making fun of science-fiction fans.
It’s celebrating them.
Throughout the film you’ll notice references, homages, and little nods to decades of classic science fiction. Some you’ll recognize immediately, while others may only click if you’ve watched a lot of the older movies.
That’s part of the fun.
My Favorite Fan Theory
Now, after you’ve watched the movie, I have one of my favorite fan theories.
It’s the theory that Paul actually “phoned home” years before the events of the movie through Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
I’m not going to explain it here because it deserves its own discussion, but if you’ve already seen both movies, it’s one of those theories that’s simply fun to think about.
Whether it’s true isn’t really the point.
It’s internally consistent enough to make you smile, and that’s exactly what good fan theories should do.
Following Creative People
One of the things I’m enjoying about working backward through my movie library is watching how actors, writers, and directors cross over into other films.
Simon Pegg, for example, would later become Scotty in the Kelvin Timeline Star Trek movies, another science-fiction franchise I’ll eventually revisit.
He’s also become well known for playing Benji Dunn in the Mission: Impossible series. Those movies aren’t currently part of my collection, but if I happen to pick them up during one of Apple’s movie sales, they’ll probably find their way into this recommendation series as well.
It’s fun discovering these connections naturally instead of planning them.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a science-fiction comedy that’s written by people who genuinely appreciate the genre they’re celebrating, Paul is an easy recommendation.
Like The Menu, it’s a movie that’s much better experienced than explained.
Watch it first.
Laugh at the references.
Then, if you want to start arguing over fan theories about extraterrestrial communication, we’ll have that conversation afterward.
Coming Up Next
As I continue working backward through my movie library, the next recommendation will be Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
That should be an interesting discussion—not just because it’s one of the best animated superhero movies ever made, but because it completely changed what audiences expected modern animation to look like.
Until next time…
Have a fun, safe, and profitable day.