Generally, I like the basic concept of this movie. Unfortunately, it has more rough edges than are good on it.
First of all, it feels rushed. It contains some by-the-book tropes which work fine if they're given time to develop but, in this instance, left the impression that there were boxes to be checked. Like the scene in which Ryan accidentally breaks John's model rocket. It looks simplistic and as if it could be fixed within ten minutes tops but John goes totally bananas and yells things which he - of course - totally regrets later. That scene does nothing for the plot apart from enabling John to record a melodramatic message for the transmission. I didn't buy the outburst nor the being sorry by the way, Jackson Allen missed on this one, sorry.
The other edges that bothered me were the gaping plot holes. It's not unusual that no one believes the alien story but when John even had a recording of his contact with Ryan after he went missing, why wouldn't his mother give him the benefit of the doubt and listen in to it? Why does John despair over his smashed walkie-talkie after the stranger had equipped him with a radio station which has a mic attached to it?
A lot of criticism, so was there any good to it? Yes: camera, lighting, sound, the UFO design. And the basic idea like I mentioned in the beginning.
