This heady dose of cerebral fantasy was scripted by the late Jerome Bixby, who wrote Fantastic Voyage, four classic Star Trek episodes and one unforgettable Twilight Zone episode (“It’s a Good Life”). Man From Earth’s plot concerns a farewell party for a college professor (CSI: Miami’s David Lee Smith) during which he reveals to his colleagues that he is an immortal who is more than 14,000 years old. The premise seems dubious, but it is skillfully carried off, with the film structured like a theater piece in which the small cast of characters probes all the historical, emotional and religious aspects of the notion of immortality.

Shelf Talk: The Man From Earth won’t appeal to sci-fi fans looking for action and adventure, but it should develop a following among those who like speculative fiction that’s strong on ideas. It deserves a strong push to the brainier fanboys, and supporting turns by William Katt (The Greatest American Hero) and Tony Todd (Candyman), plus the scripter’s Trek and Zone credentials, should help in that direction.