What Is Proximity About?
The premise of Proximity in 299 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a city that feels simultaneously intimate and endless, an introverted bellhop drifts through the quiet corridors of a downtown hotel, his days measured by the rhythm of guests coming and going. His world is one of whispered conversations and the soft clink of silverware, a space where he is rarely seen but always present. Across town, a misanthropic desk clerk sits behind a glassed‑in counter, her sarcasm a shield against a world that seems permanently on the brink of disappointment. Both carry shadows from the past that linger in their thoughts, shaping the way they navigate the everyday monotony that surrounds them.
When a chance encounter forces their paths to intersect, the bellhop’s shy curiosity meets the clerk’s guarded cynicism. Their initial connection is a tentative exchange of glances and half‑spoken stories, each recognizing a familiar ache in the other’s silence. As they begin to share fragments of their darker histories, a fragile trust forms, allowing glimpses of vulnerability that both have long kept hidden. The hotel’s dim hallways and the clerk’s stark office become unlikely backdrops for a budding intimacy that feels both unexpected and inevitable.
Their growing bond soon nudges them out of the safe confines of routine and into a restless world beyond the walls they once knew. Together they stumble into a life on the lam, a precarious dance of escape and discovery that tests the limits of their resolve. The city’s neon glow and the echoing footsteps of strangers become the soundtrack to their uneasy partnership, hinting at deeper forces that may yet shape their destiny. In this simmering blend of quiet longing and restless rebellion, the bellhop and the clerk find themselves navigating not just each other’s secrets, but the possibility of a shared future that defies the isolation they once embraced.
What Happens in Proximity?
The complete story of Proximity, from the first scene to the last, in 589 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout.
Spoilers ahead
In 1979, a lumberjack named Carl disappears into the Alaskan woods after a startling encounter with aliens. The story then shifts to the present, where a young computer engineer named Isaac begins a video diary to document his life. After a routine hike, a glowing flying saucer appears and he is taken aboard. Three days later he awakens by the water, shaken by what he believes are vivid hallucinations and a precise, unnatural cut on a broken bone. He uploads the abduction footage online, and it quickly goes viral, turning his life into a media storm. The news, the media, and even the government circle him, each hungry for answers about what really happened. Amid the noise, Isaac starts noticing a thread of alien life that runs through history, suggesting that these beings have been observing humanity for a long time. His digital trail leads him to a post by a girl his age named Sara, who shares a similar story, and the two eventually meet in a quiet local diner, wary but curious about what connects them.
As the investigation deepens, Isaac is subjected to a lie detector test in an effort to prove the veracity of the abduction. He passes, but soon afterwards he and Sara are targeted by men in black who work for a covert government agency led by a relentless figure known as Agent Graves. The authorities reveal that both Isaac and Sara carry an alien tracker, and Isaac resists cooperating with their procedures. With the odds stacked against them, Isaac and Sara flee, pursued by android-like enforcers through a sequence of tense chases and narrow escapes. Their search for safety leads them to Costa Rica, where a skilled hacker named Zed reveals that he knows about a clandestine United Nations agency behind the kidnapping. Zed helps them locate an elderly man named Carl through a remote video chat, and the trio learns that the aliens are planning a visitation to British Columbia in five days.
The team heads north to British Columbia, where they find Carl living in a remote cabin. Carl manages to disable the UN trackers, giving them a brief window of quiet before the day of arrival. When the aliens finally reach the cabin, they explain that their study of humanity hinges on the idea that Jesus Christ holds a central place in the universe. As the men in black close in, the aliens remove Sara’s tracker, and Graves demands answers about Carl’s past. Carl refuses to cooperate, and he is shot by laser fire. Sara is also shot as she attempts to walk away from the destabilized scene. With Sara and Carl in danger and the cabin under siege, Isaac’s tracker is removed by the aliens, and he discovers that he can wield telekinetic and chronokinetic powers. He uses these abilities to break free, saving Zed and physically transporting Sara and Carl to safety as the cabin collapses around them. In a final, dramatic escape, the aliens themselves intervene to shield Sara and Carl, and the group flees in a shimmering flying saucer.
Six months later, Isaac and Sara have settled into a quieter life in Costa Rica, trying to reconstruct a sense of normalcy. Zed and Carl have founded a new science program, aiming to study the broader implications of the encounter, while Agent Graves has been dismissed from his position. The story closes on a note of cautious hope, implying a future where human and alien understandings might coexist, even as the memory of that visit lingers.
Proximity Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Carl's abduction in Alaska” to “Six months later: new life in Costa Rica”. 13 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Carl's abduction in Alaska
In 1979, Carl, a lumberjack, is abducted by aliens while working in the Alaskan wilderness. The disappearance leaves his crew and the village with questions, and the event becomes a local legend. The alien abduction sets the central mystery of the film into motion.
When:1979 Where:Alaska
- 2
Isaac starts a video diary
In the present day, Isaac, a young computer engineer, begins recording his life on a video diary for posterity. The diary frames his skepticism about extraordinary events while hinting at deeper forces at work. This project provides the film with a documentary-like perspective as it unfolds.
When:Present day
- 3
Encounter in the woods
After a hike in the woods, Isaac encounters a flying saucer and an alien being. The surreal sight shatters his sense of reality and propels him into a widening mystery. This moment marks the first direct confrontation with extraterrestrial life.
When:Present day Where:Woods
- 4
Three days later: wake near the water
Three days after the encounter, Isaac wakes up near the water with no memory of how he got there. He begins to suspect that his perceptions are distorted by hallucinations and strange physical changes. A medical examination confirms anomalies in his body that push the investigation forward.
When:Three days after the encounter Where:Near the water
- 5
Abduction captured on video and goes viral
Isaac uploads footage of his abduction to the internet, and the clip goes viral. News outlets, media figures, and the government begin to question his story and motives. The sudden attention forces him to confront a much larger conspiracy surrounding the events.
When:Present day Where:Internet/global
- 6
Realization of historical alien signs and Sara's post
Isaac discovers signs of alien activity referenced throughout history and a pattern of unexplained phenomena. He finds a post by a girl his age named Sara that mirrors his experience. The two arrange to meet in a local diner, forming an uneasy alliance.
When:Present day Where:Online; local diner
- 7
Lie detector test and government intervention
Isaac is asked to take a lie detector test to prove his abduction and passes. Shortly after, he is detained by men in black led by Agent Graves. The encounter signals that powerful interests want to control or suppress the truth.
When:Shortly after viral fame Where:Undisclosed facility
- 8
Tracker discovery and escape with Sara
The government reveals alien trackers embedded in Isaac and Sara's arms. Isaac refuses to cooperate with the authorities and escapes with Sara. They are pursued by androids as they flee toward safety, underscoring the scale of the conspiracy.
When:Shortly after escape Where:Undisclosed location; pursued by androids
- 9
Journey to Costa Rica and meeting Zed
The pair discovers they have been transported to Costa Rica and meets Zed, a hacker who helps them navigate the conspiracy. Zed explains he knows about a United Nations agency involved in the kidnapping. He arranges a video chat with an elderly Carl and begins connecting the dots.
When:Present-day Where:Costa Rica
- 10
Search for Carl and the five-day countdown
Zed helps locate the elderly Carl, and a video chat confirms his connection to the aliens' study. They learn the aliens plan to arrive in British Columbia in five days. The clock is ticking as the group prepares for what’s to come.
When:Five days before arrival in British Columbia Where:Costa Rica
Show the other 4 events of Proximity Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Arrival in British Columbia and the cabin safety
The trio travels to British Columbia and finds Carl living in a cabin. Carl disables the United Nations trackers, buying them two days of safety. Tensions rise as the threat of capture grows and the journey intensifies.
When:Two days before alien arrival Where:British Columbia (cabin)
- 12
Confrontation and the first losses
Two days later the aliens arrive and explain their study of humanity, including beliefs about Jesus. The men in black surround the cabin and Sara's tracker is removed. Graves presses Carl for answers about his father's death, and Carl is shot by laser weapons.
When:During the alien arrival Where:British Columbia, cabin
- 13
Isaac's escape and the saucer escape
Isaac's tracker is removed and he unleashes telekinetic and chronokinetic powers to escape. He saves Zed and carries Sara and Carl to safety as the cabin is destroyed. The aliens intervene, recovering Sara and Carl as the survivors escape in a flying saucer.
When:During the escape Where:British Columbia, cabin vicinity
- 14
Six months later: new life in Costa Rica
Six months after the ordeal, Isaac and Sara live a normal life in Costa Rica. Zed and Carl have started a new science program, leveraging what they learned. Agent Graves has been fired, suggesting a shift in the shadowy agencies behind the abductions.
When:Six months later Where:Costa Rica
Who Are the Main Characters in Proximity?
4 characters, among them Isaac, Sara and Carl: who each one is and the part they play in the story.
- I
Isaac
A young computer engineer who documents his abduction in a video diary. He confronts questions of reality as clues about alien life accumulate, and his evolving powers become central to the escape plan. Isaac's determination drives the plot from viral footage to high-stakes confrontations with agents and aliens.
- 🧠 Intelligent
- 🚀 Tech-savvy
- S
Sara
A peer who shares a similar experience and discovers an online thread about similar abductions. She teams with Isaac to uncover the truth, faces injury, and remains a key ally in the plan to outmaneuver the trackers and agents.
- 🤝 Ally
- 🗺️ Persistent
- C
Carl
An elderly man who has knowledge of the alien operation and ultimately disables UN trackers, paying a price for his defiance. He forms a tense dynamic with the agents who demand answers about his past, culminating in a fatal confrontation.
- 🧓 Elderly
- 🛡️ Stoic
- Z
Zed
A hacker who helps the group locate Carl and reveals knowledge about the United Nations agency behind the kidnapping. He guides the team toward a potential escape and a broader conspiracy.
- 💻 Hacker
- 🗺️ Guide
Where and When Is Proximity Set?
Proximity is set in Alaska, Costa Rica and British Columbia (1979, present day). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1979, present day
The film juxtaposes a 1979 abduction in the Alaskan wilderness with a contemporary timeline where a young engineer documents the events online. The 1979 sequence establishes Carl's abduction and the aliens' study of humans, while the present-day sequence follows Isaac, Sara, and allies confronting government forces and pursuing escape.
Where
Alaska, Costa Rica, British Columbia
The story unfolds across vast, remote landscapes beginning in Alaska's woods and mountains in 1979, then shifting to modern Costa Rica as an alien abduction mystery expands. The group travels to British Columbia, where the alien encounter escalates and a confrontation with a UN-backed agency occurs. The settings emphasize isolation, wilderness, and the tension between frontier areas and secretive authorities.
- ❄️ Arctic wilderness
- 🛰️ Alien presence
- 🧭 Remote locations
What Are the Themes of Proximity?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Alien Contact, Conspiracy and Power.
-
01
Alien Contact
Direct encounters with extraterrestrials drive the plot and raise questions about humanity's place in a broader cosmos. Abductions, trackers, and a flying saucer blur the line between myth and evidence. The theme explores what it means to encounter another intelligent life form and the consequences of revealing that knowledge.
-
02
Conspiracy
A secret UN-backed agency and men in black pursue the truth behind the abductions, creating a climate of surveillance and distrust. Protagonists must navigate hidden agendas and the threat of powerful powers seeking to control the narrative. The theme questions who gets to decide what counts as proof of contact.
-
03
Power
Isaac's discovery of telekinetic and chronokinetic abilities reframes the conflict from investigation to survival and escape. The powers become a tool to save companions and alter events, attracting attention from both agents and aliens. The theme examines responsibility that comes with extraordinary capability.
What Kind of Film Is Proximity?
Tense in tone, with fast pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Tense
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Happy
A fast-paced, tense sci-fi thriller that follows ordinary people pursued by shadowy forces after a close encounter, balancing action-packed escapes with a mysterious and hopeful conclusion.
- suspenseful
- paranoid
- intense
- adventurous
- mysterious
- anxious
- alien abduction
- government conspiracy
- fugitives on the run
- sci-fi thriller
Content notes: abduction, government persecution, shooting.
Quiz
How well do you remember Proximity? Test yourself on the story.
