'On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Sky' Examines High Strangeness in West Virginia and Beyond

The latest installment in Small Town Monsters’ investigative documentary series On the Trail of… features Shannon LeGro and Seth Breedlove as they once again head into the night in search of UFOs, this time focusing on West Virginia and the surrounding area.

On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Sky follows the pair as they do what Small Town Monsters does best: personal investigation. The film offers a wealth of interviews with eyewitnesses, investigators, and local culture experts, all of whom help to paint a tapestry of high strangeness in the eastern United States. In contrast to the often frustratingly slow drip of government “disclosure” that’s been dominating headlines since 2017, it delivers straightforward, useful information for anyone interested in UFOs and other associated phenomena. From the Flatwoods Monster—and its lesser known doppelgänger Bashful Billy—to the saga of Woodrow Derenberger, Indrid Cold, and the Men in Black, the film traverses ground too often dismissed by those obsessed with more materialistic concerns.

Small Town Monsters regulars Heather Moser and Mark Matzke both provide their usual candid insight while examining the folklore that has arisen out of the reported phenomena. Just because a story is spread by word of mouth doesn’t mean it’s false, and like other films from the production company, this one doesn’t dismiss anything out of hand. Rather, the examination of this process more often than not serves to reinforce the validity of witnesses’ testimony by finding and presenting reliable details of what people are actually reporting.

The phenomena are explored within the cultural framework of the areas in which they were witnessed—including everything from coal mining to Appalachian Mountain lore—something bound to interest discerning viewers looking for fortean connections. But the focus of this film is ufology, and it never strays too far from its subject. Any seeming diversions are firmly rooted in the examination of UFOs and everything covered is relevant to the film’s goal of exploration. Rather than distract from the point, the wide variety of sightings, experiences, and connections covered by the film only add context that is sadly missing from many modern UFO discussions. Those connections, along with the investigation that led to them, are reminiscent of the halcyon days of ufology, when investigators were found searching for UFOs in the field rather than arguing about them on Twitter.

On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Sky is what happens when honest investigators pursue a subject without bias, following the evidence instead of their own egos, and making only those conclusions which their findings and good sense allow. It neither ignores nor favors any aspect of the UFO phenomenon unduly, instead focusing on the impact these encounters have on those who experience them and the similarities that connect sightings across generations, all while cultivating the sense of wonder appropriate to such a fascinating and impactful field of study. Here’s hoping it inspires others to do the same.

On the Trail of UFOs: Dark Sky will be available to purchase or rent on August 3rd on a number of platforms from 1091 Pictures, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, and FandangoNOW.

For more information, including how to preorder the film, visit the Small Town Monsters website.

To report your own encounter with the impossible, reach out to us directly at the Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to support the Singular Fortean Society, please consider becoming an official member by signing up through our Patreon page—membership includes a ton of extra content and behind-the-scenes access to the Society’s inner workings.