Despite the extraterrestrial associations often encouraged by paranormal enthusiasts, the term UFO – as well as its modern-day equivalent “UAP” – in no way implies the involvement of alien beings in these phenomena. In fact, the scientific study of these incidents is only hindered by idle speculation surrounding little green men and their intentions. That’s why it’s a shame that most documentaries about the subject assume that you’re already part of the worldwide cult of E.T. truthers, an approach that makes it difficult to take most of these productions seriously.
Thankfully, this isn’t always the case, and Small Town Monsters’ latest production is a rare example of a UFO documentary willing to make do with historical facts and credible eyewitness reports while skillfully avoiding most of the common pitfalls that plague the genre. Directed by Seth Breedlove (who helmed most of the previous films in the series, including The Mothman Legacy and On The Trail of Bigfoot), Lost Contact: UFOs After Wartime stands out from previous Small Town Monsters projects by focusing more on the tangible and historical aspects of a tragic true story.
In the film, photographs, historical footage, and interviews with surviving witnesses are used to tell the story of World War II fighter pilot Thomas Mantell Jr., an experienced veteran who survived the war only to die in a mysterious crash after being ordered to pursue an unidentified object flying above the skies of his homeland. With the help of expert consultants, the documentary explores the cover-up that allegedly ensued after Mantell’s death, with the government denying any strange occurrences despite several details about both the accident and its immediate aftermath not adding up.
This fascinating sequence of bizarre events is sure to keep both general audiences and die-hard Ufologists entertained throughout the majority of the flick’s 90-minute runtime. The information is presented in a clear and concise manner, and the story itself is filled with eerie little details suggesting a larger conspiracy (like how Mantell’s coffin was supposedly lined with lead as well as claims that the military showed up decades later to collect additional samples from the crash site).
The subject matter does a lot of the heavy lifting here, with the filmmaking itself feeling rather barebones, with the exception of a few stylish projections and the occasional interesting question. Aaron Deese’s narration even invokes a monotonous High-School history class at times, though that has more to do with bland writing than the actor himself.
Regardless, the biggest issue here is pacing. Mantell’s fateful crash may be the perfect subject for a spooky documentary, but it’s clear that Lost Contact could have told the exact same story as an hour-long TV special containing all of the same information in a more easily digestible form.
That being said, repetitive talking heads and familiar archival footage are par for the course when it comes to low-budget documentaries, though the same excuse can’t be applied to Breedlove’s regrettable (though admittedly brief) inclusion of AI-enhanced imagery in the film. I can understand the instinct to inject some visual variety into the feature by animating old photographs and diagrams, but this kind of cheap digital shortcut only hurts an otherwise credible experience without actually adding any value to it – and I really hope that we don’t see more of this in future Small Town Monsters projects.
Screenshot
Thankfully, the rest of the film remains a decidedly human affair, and I especially appreciate the inclusion of interviews about Mantell’s family life and who he was as a person. After all, a 25-year-old human being perished because of dangerous orders from a superior officer, so it’s refreshing to see Breedlove and his team make an effort to remember the tragedy at the heart of the incident, regardless of the mystery surrounding it.
And while the documentary doesn’t present viewers with definitive evidence of the existence of aliens or even a solid theory about what exactly happened up there (though nearly everyone involved with the film rejects the balloon hypothesis), I think these answers are beside the point. Breedlove isn’t really trying to make up anyone’s mind regarding the incident, but instead attempting to tell a compelling true story that touches on everything from Cold War paranoia to government censorship, and that’s where he succeeds.
Ironically enough, Lost Contact is one of the most down-to-earth explorations of an alleged close encounter that I’ve seen in years, and this sober approach to the subject matter is precisely why I found it so refreshing. Sure, the film’s presentation could have used some polish, but the source material is captivating enough to carry the experience through to the finish line.
It’s unlikely that we’ll ever uncover the complete truth behind what happened to Mantell on that fateful afternoon back in 1948, but Breedlove’s latest documentary is a great place to start the investigation.
Lost Contact: UFOs After Wartime releases on VOD on October 7, 2025.
