Sundance 2023: Jacob Buster Talks Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out

Jacob Buster is an award-winning storyteller who has captivated audiences with his standout performances in projects including Long Haul, Christmas for a Dollar, and Let the Right One In. He recently made his way to Park City, Utah with the premiere of his must-see new film, Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out.

A lighthearted yet touching family narrative set against the backdrop of the beautiful Utah landscape, Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out is a story about embracing what makes us different, finding belonging, and staying true to yourself.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Jacob about Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out, how music played a role in his preparation, and more.

PC: You were recently at Sundance for your film Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out. Tell us about the film, your character, and what drew you to it.
Jacob: This was the first project that I got to do alone because I was turning eighteen, so I got to go film in Utah without my parents. I’ve been living there for the last fifteen years. The thing that first drew me to the project was that one of my parents’ friends was directing and wanted to make this film. I got the script, and I was like, “This is a family-friendly film.” You had little cheesy moments here and there, and then about two-thirds through the film, all of a sudden—boom, it became real. Every character gets fully developed. I was like, “Oh my gosh. How could I not be part of this project? This is so fun.” From there, I put my all into the audition and ended up getting it.

PC: Despite your character’s circumstances and his past, he has such a positive outlook on life. He’s one of those characters that’s going to stay with audiences after the credits roll. What have you learned from playing Calvin that you’ve now been able to apply to not only your craft but also your life?
Jacob: Calvin reminds me of one of my friends. He’s kind of funky. He’s out there. He’s really confident, and that’s one of the things that I love about him. One of the main things that I learned from my friend and from Calvin is to be confident in yourself and the decisions that you make. It’s such a wonderful thing that makes life really colorful and allows you to take control of circumstances.

PC: There’s such great chemistry that comes off the screen between you and Emma [Tremblay]. How were you two able to build the bond necessary for the dynamic that we see on screen?
Jacob: Emma is really wonderful. On and off camera, she’s a phenomenal actress and person to be around. Connecting with her was the easiest part of filming. As soon as we were on set, we connected immediately. We still hang out every once in a while whenever she’s in Utah or if I’m ever up in Canada. There wasn’t too much to do there. She was really kind, sweet, and genuine.

PC: One of the ways that you bonded was over music. What was on your Calvin playlist? Is that your preparation for each of the roles that you do?
Jacob: I haven’t done that for every character, but there are definitely certain characters that I do that for. My Calvin playlist definitely had folk. It was more open, airy acoustic music like “Beige” by Yolk Lore. I loved that song when I was playing Calvin on Aliens, and with Peter in Let the Right One In there were very different types of music. That had more artists that people haven’t heard of. I had songs like “Alienspeak” by Brevin Kim. That song really spoke to me with Peter. It had a grungy skater feel.

PC: You’re also working with two legends who play your parents. What was it like getting to collaborate with Will [Forte] and Elizabeth [Mitchell]?
Jacob: It was phenomenal. Will is such a strong comedic actor. Elizabeth is such a strong dramatic actor. To get both sides of that spectrum and see that they could also do the opposite of their strength was really, really wonderful. It was crazy. I’m so used to feeling like, “This line is prepared this way,” or “Maybe this would be interesting,” but talking to them, every time felt different. That was such a wonderful experience. Moving forward I would love to be able to learn more from them and put it into my own work.

PC: Like you were saying, this film does a beautiful job balancing drama and comedy. Is one more challenging than the other?
Jacob: They both have their own challenges in their own ways. They’re both so fun to dive into because they’re so different. But I grew up doing more drama. This is one of the first comedic roles that I was able to do. That was a little more challenging for me because I wasn’t quite used to it. Jake [Van Wagoner], the director, really, really helped me with that. He gave me space to interpret the scene for myself and improv here and there while also sharing his own ideas like, “This would be perfect here or this here.” That’s one of the things that I loved about this movie. I also didn’t mention this earlier but I love that the title feels almost like a line that Calvin would say because he’ll tell you exactly what you need to know and then trail on with a few more details that you don’t quite need.

PC: Speaking of drama, there’s a scene when your character confronts somebody from his past at the diner. You handled that with so much nuance. How did you create the space to dive into that moment in particular?
Jacob: I think it was who I was working opposite of. I had to drive an hour and a half from where I live for that scene. On the car ride, I was trying to get into the mental space and sit in there, but you can only do so much. Being able to sit down there with her and have her talk to me about how she feels about the scene and what emotions are going through her head and be like, “Hey, let’s just sit with each other. Let’s do this.” It was really beneficial. Also, being able to work opposite of her and see how she gets there made it so much easier to get there as well.

PC: You were saying earlier that this project was a lot of firsts. Did anything surprise you about the overall experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Jacob: One of the things that surprised me is how much I loved being on set. Because I love acting. It’s what I want to do with my life. I would love if this was something that I could do for the rest of my life. The set is like a second home. Typically, sets will take me out of my comfort zone and put me in a new area. I always learn something on set, but this set really let me sink into it and enjoy every moment.

PC: You deliver such a standout performance in this film. Was there a particular scene that you were excited for audiences to see at Sundance?
Jacob: I love that introduction scene where we’re introduced to these characters in the classroom. We’re making jokes about Star Trek. That scene is everything and nothing all at once in which you can watch it and be like, “This is the beginning.” You’re watching these characters come together, and then it’s nothing because it’s just a classroom. You’re just doing that thing that you do every day as a kid. It’s really not much, but it was fun to see it from both points of view.

PC: The film has been incredibly well received at Sundance. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Jacob: This film is very different in the way that it views life. It gives you a greater outlook. There are hard things that will happen, but that doesn’t mean that you’re worth any less. One of my favorite things about this film is that it’s a metaphor for life beyond this. Just because someone might be gone and you miss them and all you want is to be with them, that doesn’t mean that you have any less to give here or that your time is up. I love that.

PC: You’ve worked on projects of all sizes. This very much has an indie feel to it. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a storyteller?
Jacob: One of the things that excites me is that it’s so collaborative. They typically take on very hard topics and dive really deep into them. To be able to do that, you need a phenomenal writer who can portray it in such a real way and a phenomenal director that’s able to have a coherent vision throughout the entire film and is able to come to an actor and say, “This is what I want you to do.” There’s so much trust and team building, which is fun.

PC: Outside of this project, what’s next for you?
Jacob: Right now, I’m writing some projects and looking into some things. Because as an actor, you have some time where you’re go, go, go, but then you have time off and you’re able to sit. I really love that part of the creative process. During those times, I try to write and do a few things like that. I was able to go film something in Hawaii for a bit at the beginning of this year, and now we’re in pilot season, so it’s audition, audition, audition.

PC: Have you found that the work that you’ve done behind the scenes as a writer has impacted the way that you approach your work on screen as an actor?
Jacob: 100%. Obviously, being a first-time writer I’m looking at my stuff and I’m like, “Ah, no, no, no. That’s not where I want it to be,” or “If I got this script, would I do this? Would I feel like this project is something that I need to do?” I’ve been asking myself those questions.

Now as an actor as soon as I get an audition, I’m like, “Yo, give me that script. I want to read this script. I want to watch this whole thing. I want to see how they’re writing it.” Then I try to keep track of certain writers and be like, “I love this one. This one really speaks to me. This one fills this area that I don’t feel like I have right now.” I’m trying to dive into a greater understanding of what other people are creating and trying to see who speaks to me.

To keep up with Jacob, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out is making its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Photo Credit: Yves Bright