The Story of UFOs: It Has Begun
UFOs: It Has Begun isn't your typical conspiracy-mongering doc. Released in 1979 by Sandler Institutional Films, this 94-minute documentary serves as Rod Serling's most direct and personal examination of UFO sightings and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. What makes it remarkable isn't flashy editing or sensational claims—it's Serling himself, the legendary narrator and creator of The Twilight Zone, stepping out of the shadows to say, plainly and publicly, that he believed this phenomenon was real. The film examines prominent UFO sightings from the post-war era through the late 1970s, treating each account with the kind of narrative gravitas that only Serling could deliver. This wasn't some fringe project; it was Serling's coming-out party about a conviction he'd held privately for years, and it came at the very end of his life.
Serling's presence anchors everything here. You hear his voice—that distinctive, measured cadence—moving viewers through case after case with neither sensationalism nor dismissal. The documentary doesn't shout at you. It whispers, it reasons, it occasionally pauses to let the strangeness of a particular incident sink in. What's striking is how earnest it all feels, how much Serling seemed to care about being taken seriously on a subject that, in 1979, could tank a public figure's credibility.
Behind the Making of UFOs: It Has Begun
The film's origins trace back to Robert Emenegger's 1974 book UFOs: Past, Present, and Future, which formed the documentary's foundation. Sandler Institutional Films produced this re-release—and yes, it's a re-release, which is worth knowing. The original documentary UFOs: Past, Present, and Future came out in 1974 and was re-released in 1976, but 1979's UFOs: It Has Begun retitling wasn't random. Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind had reignited mainstream interest in UFOs, and the timing was deliberate. Serling's involvement elevated the entire project. He wasn't some B-list celebrity looking for a paycheck; he was an Emmy-winning writer and producer whose reputation was built on intelligent, thought-provoking television. That he chose to attach his name to this—his final major project before his death from cancer in May 1975 (note: the documentary's 1979 release came after his passing, making it a kind of posthumous statement)—speaks volumes about how deeply he'd come to believe in the subject matter.
The IMDb rating of 7.375/10 reflects the film's solid standing among viewers who've sought it out over the decades. It's not a blockbuster score, but it's respectable for a documentary from this era that deals in UFO material—a genre historically dismissed by mainstream critics. What's rarely discussed is how Serling's participation lent the film an intellectual legitimacy that similar projects simply didn't have. He wasn't there to debunk or to sensationalize; he was there to investigate, to question, and ultimately to validate the experiences of ordinary people who'd witnessed something they couldn't explain.
What Makes UFOs: It Has Begun Stand Out
Here's the thing about this documentary that nobody mentions: it's fundamentally about doubt. Not doubt in the phenomenon itself, but doubt in the institutions that dismissed it. Serling had spent a decade on The Twilight Zone exploring the margins of human experience, the places where logic breaks down and the inexplicable becomes real. By 1979, he'd apparently decided that UFOs deserved the same serious consideration he'd given to time travel, parallel dimensions, and the supernatural. The documentary doesn't try to prove anything definitively—it can't, and it knows it. Instead, it presents sightings, testimonies, and photographic evidence, then asks viewers to sit with the uncomfortable possibility that we might not be alone and that our government might know more than it's telling us.
What's most affecting is the restraint. You won't find wild speculation or dramatic music swells. Serling's narration is conversational, even doubtful at moments, which paradoxically makes his ultimate openness to the subject feel more earned. The film moves through cases methodically—each one given weight, each one treated as worthy of attention. I keep coming back to how different this feels from modern UFO documentaries, which tend to lean hard into the conspiratorial and the confrontational. UFOs: It Has Begun is gentler, more philosophical. It's asking questions rather than demanding answers, which is exactly what Serling had always done best. His final public statement on the subject became, in retrospect, a kind of intellectual permission slip for others to take the topic seriously without shame.
The documentary's critical standing has improved with time. Contemporary reviewers in 1979 were cautious—UFO content was still considered fringe—but film historians and documentary enthusiasts have come to recognize it as a significant artifact, both as a work of documentary filmmaking and as a window into Serling's private convictions. Movie OTT tracks availability of titles like this across multiple streaming platforms, making it easier to discover films that might otherwise remain buried in archives.
Where to Stream UFOs: It Has Begun Online
Finding UFOs: It Has Begun requires a bit more effort than clicking on Netflix, but it's out there. The film is available on major OTT services, and Movie OTT's where-to-watch widget at the top of this page will show you exactly which platforms currently have it in rotation. Streaming catalogs shift constantly, so checking that widget is the most reliable way to know if it's available on your preferred service right now. Given the film's niche status and its historical significance, availability can be spotty—it's not the kind of documentary that gets permanent placement on every platform. That said, its growing recognition among documentary enthusiasts and paranormal researchers means it's gradually becoming more accessible than it was even five years ago. If you're serious about UFO documentaries or Rod Serling's complete body of work, it's worth tracking down.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who narrates UFOs: It Has Begun?
Rod Serling, the legendary creator and narrator of The Twilight Zone, hosts the documentary. This was one of his final projects before his death from cancer, making it a significant personal and professional statement.
Q: Is UFOs: It Has Begun based on a true story?
The documentary examines real UFO sightings and accounts from the post-war era through the 1970s. While it doesn't claim to definitively prove extraterrestrial contact, it presents documented cases and eyewitness testimonies as the basis for its investigation.
Q: When was UFOs: It Has Begun originally released?
The film was originally released as UFOs: Past, Present, and Future in 1974, then re-released under the title UFOs: It Has Begun in 1979 to capitalize on renewed interest in UFOs following the success of Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Q: How long is UFOs: It Has Begun?
The documentary runs 94 minutes, giving it enough runtime to explore multiple UFO cases and sightings in reasonable depth without feeling rushed.
Q: What's Rod Serling's stance on UFOs in this documentary?
Serling approaches the subject with openness and intellectual seriousness, treating eyewitness accounts and evidence with respect. The film represents his public declaration of belief in the UFO phenomenon, something he'd apparently held privately for years.
Final Thoughts on UFOs: It Has Begun
If you're looking for a UFO documentary that doesn't insult your intelligence or lean into panic, UFOs: It Has Begun is essential viewing. It's a time capsule of 1970s earnestness about a subject that remains genuinely mysterious. More than that, it's Rod Serling's final gift to viewers—a chance to hear from one of television's greatest minds as he grappled with questions that still don't have easy answers. Watch it for the historical significance, stay for the quiet dignity with which Serling treats the unknowable.
