He arrives at Ellis Island like the immigrants in the late-19th and early-20th century, but our newcomer, played by Joe Morton, is not from another country; he’s from another planet. Even though he is non-human, the appearance of the mute alien’s skin tone identifies him as a Black man on Earth. Our unnamed protagonist, referred to simply as “Brother” by the locals, is being chased through New York City by two space alien bounty hunter types. He passes the time evading his oppressors by observing the class and racial divides on the streets and in bars. “Brother” communicates through his actions: fixing machines with his magical touch and aiding vulnerable community members in Harlem. His acute listening — both to those present and those in the past — allows him to express one of his many alien powers, empathetic listening, a skill that has been long lost among human city folk. Following him around Harlem, silently observing the dynamics of normalized city life, the film at times feels like an alien slacker flick.

Written in about a week, writer-director John Sayles’ fourth feature became his biggest box office hit. Sayles wanted the film to be about the immigrant experience of having to assimilate in a strange land through the parallel of literally being alien to your new surroundings. Even though a low-budget film, The Brother From Another Planet has had a lasting impact on American audiences for both its cinematic qualities and its socio-political message about the immigrant and Black experience in the United States. -Text Courtesy of Film & Television Archive