The 1983 science fiction thriller Xtro, directed by Harry Bromley Davenport on a modest $60,000 budget, centres on a man taken by aliens who returns fundamentally altered and begins drawing his family into his extraterrestrial agenda. Despite achieving British theatrical release with an 18 certificate, the film attracted one of film critic Roger Ebert's most severe condemnations, in which he positioned it as a particularly egregious failure that transcended typical low-budget shortcomings.

Ebert's critique centred on his conviction that the film was not simply incompetent but actively harmful to cinema itself, describing it as nihilistic, depressing, and cynical. He questioned what motivated the filmmakers to create and distribute such a work, ultimately concluding that it exemplified how poorly-made productions could undermine the medium's standing. His verdict proved so damning that he regarded Xtro as a uniquely offensive production, distinct even amongst the broader catalogue of failed films.