Starman precariously straddles genres, playing best as a romance, but opting for most of its runtime to be a high stakes chase film. Unfortunately, the high stakes feel disingenuous. When Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges face any sort of trouble, the pair are almost always dependent on the charity of others rather than their own ingenuity. That furthers the theme that mankind is at its best when things are worst, but it also makes for a plot too convenient to be believable.
The best scenes here play up Allen and Bridges's undeniable chemistry. Her emotionally fraught performance balances perfectly alongside his restrained, mannered turn as an alien. Even as the rest of the plot becomes implausible, their relationship feels increasingly real.
