▁fiction ▁ge eks ▁who ▁meet ▁an ▁al ien ▁with ▁a ▁sar cast ic ▁manner ▁and ▁an ▁app et ite ▁for ▁alco hol ▁and ▁c igare tt es . ▁T ogether , ▁they ▁help ▁the ▁al ien ▁escape ▁from ▁the ▁F BI ▁agents ▁who ▁are ▁purs uing ▁him ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁can ▁return ▁to ▁his ▁home ▁world . ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁a ▁par ody ▁of ▁other ▁science - f iction ▁films , ▁especially ▁those ▁of ▁Steven ▁Spiel berg , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁general ▁science ▁fiction ▁f andom . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁British - American ▁vent ure ▁produced ▁by ▁Working ▁Title ▁Films , ▁Studio Can al , ▁Big ▁T alk ▁Pictures ▁and ▁Rel ativity ▁Media , ▁and ▁distributed ▁by ▁Universal ▁Pictures . ▁Paul ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁moder ate ▁positive ▁re actions ▁from ▁critics , ▁and ▁gross ed ▁$ 9 8 ▁million ▁world wide ▁on ▁a ▁$ 4 0 ▁million ▁budget . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Gra eme ▁Wil ly ▁and ▁C live ▁G oll ings ▁are ▁British ▁com ic ▁book ▁enthus iast s ▁and ▁best ▁friends ▁who ▁travel ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁annual ▁San ▁Diego ▁Com ic - Con , ▁and ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁road ▁trip ▁through ▁the ▁South western ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁visit ▁sites ▁significant ▁to ▁U FO ▁l ore . ▁While ▁driving ▁on ▁a ▁remote ▁desert ▁highway ▁at ▁night , ▁after