Alien Movies
by alienmovies | created - 17 Apr 2013 | updated - 18 Sep 2022 | PublicCollection of alien movies as reviewed at alienmoviereviews.com, ordering is by overall enjoyment by a fellow fan of alien movies.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. District 9 (2009)
R | 112 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Violence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.
Director: Neill Blomkamp | Stars: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Vanessa Haywood
Votes: 717,150 | Gross: $115.65M
The number one question I always get when I tell people I write this blog is, ‘What’s your favorite alien movie?’ No question, it’s got to be District 9. The only movie that grabbed my attention and so beautifully told a great story in the first 10 minutes was Pixar’s ‘Up’. From there the story never lets go and is a constant adventure through a set of circumstances that everyone can identify with. How they incorporate the aliens, and their obvious symbolic nature with Africa’s immigration issues, deserves the award alone. The acting, special effects and direction allow this to really set the standard unlike any movie since Alien. My favorite hands down.
2. Contact (1997)
PG | 150 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, sending plans for a mysterious machine.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Votes: 293,229 | Gross: $100.92M
Simply one of my top three favorite movies ever made. You can love this movie on so many levels, and being an alien movie fan is certainly one of them, but this is one of the few movies I’ve reviewed that anyone can enjoy. Old, young, conservative, liberal, male, female, I just can’t see a demographic that wouldn’t like this movie. There are so many great aspects, from the acting, the writing, and the way the film addresses so many topics in such a great way. Overall I honestly recommend watching this and keeping an open mind; the film is a journey to end of the universe.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
G | 149 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
After uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
Votes: 719,989 | Gross: $56.95M
Let me first state that I am not usually an old movie fan. In fact, anything pre-1995 usually seems so outdated and lacking modern storytelling we take for granted. This movie is not one of those. I had seen parts of 2001 over a decade ago but after watching Interstellar I was blown away by one of Kubrick's best work. The story is well done, soundtrack of course iconic, and the integration of how extraterrestrials brought the human race along is so engaging and thought provoking I wanted to watch it again. Can't recommend enough, no matter how old it gets.
4. Alien (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 951,567 | Gross: $78.90M
Considering this movie was made in 1979, and I didn’t see it until 2011, there are some pretty big draw backs. “Old movies” are laden with long silent patches, strange audio that makes it hard to understand the dialog and generally over the top “baaad doop ooop” sound effects. Compare the audio work in Alien vs “Cowboys and Aliens" for example.
Despite how old this movie was, I did generally enjoy it. There were two or three parts that it dragged on a bit, and some of the plot lines, especially around the first kills, were incredibly obvious. Screaming out “O man, this guy is so dead. Turn around!!!” can be fun though. Alien was also generally scary, and I usually hate scary movies, but this was a more suspenseful entertaining scary. Good thing I had my wife to hold on to! (yes I am aware I’m a big baby and it’s her that should be holding on to me) With long drawn out scenes, walking in to dark alleys and lots of steam coming out of seemingly nowhere, you’re on the edge of the seat just waiting for something to happen.
The other problem I had with the movie was the stupid damn cat. I’m not a huge cat person in general, and maybe I would have been more attached to the pet if it was a dog, but no offense fluffy, if its my life on the line you’re getting left.
Overall, the movie is a worth a watch, again considering how old it is, and I recommend it. It’s the first alien contact movie that happens in space and was very creative for 1979. Now time to watch to Aliens…
5. E.T. (1982)
PG | 115 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace
Votes: 437,745 | Gross: $435.11M
The thing that’s so amazing about E.T. is the depth of character development Spielberg was able to build with such limited technology. It’s almost as if some sci-fi movies have to be re-made every 20-35 years because watching the special effects scenes become so dated, so quickly, and are a distraction to the story.
Sure, there are a few choppy/pixelated shots, but the beauty of E.T. is the friendship that develops with a child who feels picked on and an outcast, something everyone can relate to. The story requires no technology and instead a good storyline and a great performance, which Henry Thomas (Elllliiiiiooooottt) did a superb job delivering.
After not watching E.T. for over 20 years, I was amazed how well the story held up over time, thinking it was merely a kid’s story and I highly recommend another viewing if you haven’t seen it in awhile. Truly inspiring and heartfelt.
6. Arrival (II) (2016)
PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg
Votes: 771,932 | Gross: $100.55M
Considering I write this blog, it’s not a surprise I was super pumped for this movie. An initial trailer was released last August and I was all in. I dove into the short story this was based on, reading it twice, back to back. Ted’s use of time and pronouns was so unique and I recommend his other short stories as well.
But…it’s one thing to have a 40 page short story, another thing completely to have a 2 hour major motion picture. The screenplay work took over a year and I commend Eric Heisserer for his patience and delivering a great script.
In my opinion, most reviews give too much away, and I have always tried to steer away from that. What I can say is this is the best alien movie in almost a decade. Not since District 9 I have I felt a story communicate what I find so intriguing about this genre. It is easy to have action (lately invasion/war movies), suspense (Alien series), but what I love is the thought provoking question of what does it mean to be human.
Too often, we as a civilization are divided between class, culture, country, race, religion, the list goes on and on. I truly believe that Extraterrestrials exist and my answer to the Fermi Paradox is that they are waiting for us to unite on our own, aka the “Zoology” answer. The must know that once their presence is known, everything changes. This is seen in science experiments from the Stanford Prison Experiment to any war conflict; the US banded together like never before at the onset of WWI, and especially WWII.
Once First Contact happens (or before on our own account), my hope is that there will be a real, unbreakable uniting of the human race. For some reason we agree there is a bond of people between neighbors on any street in America, what college you went to, what city you live in, what state, and especially lately, what country. But for some reason, finding the similarities and shared experiences with someone in Egypt or Japan is not the norm. That is what I hope changes in my lifetime, whether from Alien Contact or from our own actions, that we begin to understand we have more in common than apart.
7. The New World (2005)
PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale
Votes: 89,919 | Gross: $12.71M
Our usual readers are probably wondering, wait, wtf? That’s not an alien movie!
I recently came across the Imaginary Worlds podcast, and specifically the First Contact episode, and it completely changed my view of aliens and our storytelling about them. Highly recommend you give that a listen first.
The overall gist is that the foundation of the modern day alien movie comes from the cowboy and indian stories that have been told for hundreds of years. The difference is that today we are all the native american and the “white european explorer” is the alien from another world. And guess what? It doesn’t end well for the natives.
I re-watched a bunch of westerns and cowboy/indian films (and totally changed my view on the film Cowboys and Aliens), but the film that most stuck out in my head was ‘The New World’. First off, the cinematography and directing is great, no surprise being Terrence Malick film. More than that though, the connection the two characters develop despite a lack of language or cultural assumptions was inspirational. One of my favorite alien movies I’ve seen in a long time and continued the challenge that the Imaginary Worlds podcasts put forth to me about what an Alien movie is and what they can mean.
8. A Quiet Place (2018)
PG-13 | 90 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A family struggles for survival in a world where most humans have been killed by blind but noise-sensitive creatures. They are forced to communicate in sign language to keep the creatures at bay.
Director: John Krasinski | Stars: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe
Votes: 583,982 | Gross: $188.02M
Finally, a fantastic Alien movie in 2018. I’m not even sure where to begin except that this is 90 minutes of well edited, well directed storytelling that has elements of lots of different monsters/alien movies (yes, those are different), but puts them together in a concise package that is just so well done. A full day later and I still have the heebie-jeebies, but yet want to watch it again. One thing I love about alien films is the ability to use the medium in the form of symbolism for something else (hence District 9 being my #1). This movie does it brilliantly, pairing down so much of our human experience, and not just in sound, but in complexity, texture and human connection. There’s a really raw, primordial nature to the family life and nearby community that I just absolutely loved. The acting was great, and not just husband/wife combo John Krasinski & Emily Blunt, but even the children and side characters. Story was succinct and I’m a sucker for editing that tells the story as quickly as possible with little wasted time. I highly recommend this movie, even if you don’t believe in Aliens.
9. Prey (I) (2022)
R | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.
Director: Dan Trachtenberg | Stars: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp
Votes: 227,403
Wow, two amazing alien movies in one year. Thank you 2022! Nope was very good, but I actually liked Prey more. The action scenes were incredible, but even more so I loved how they set the stage for where so much of alien content comes from (indigenous contact with european settlers, see The New World). I thought it was creative how the story blended languages, where the white man is foreign and therefore the strange unknown spoken words, French, where as the main character spoke naturally. The script was great, the acting superb, Amber Midthunder a breakout star. I find a hard time finding faults beyond the suspicious of disbelief that the predator wouldn’t win in a fair fight, but hey, if Arnold can do it, by not Amber right?
10. Cloverfield (2008)
PG-13 | 85 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A group of friends venture deep into the streets of New York on a rescue mission during a rampaging monster attack.
Director: Matt Reeves | Stars: Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, T.J. Miller
Votes: 420,882 | Gross: $80.05M
The movie opens from the view point of one of main characters filming interviews of attendees at his friend’s going-away party, purposely erratic, low angles and kind of crappy quality. That said, it worked well for the intro as you get a good sense of the story and build a connection, but I wish they had ditched the jumpy handheld direction later in the movie. The dark, running away from monsters scenes got a little bit much for me, and when the crazy *beep* happens later, I would have preferred high end, Michael Bay production levels. Speaking of which, why hasn’t Bay ever done an alien movie (and don’t you dare say Transformers).
Overall, the movie was very entertaining. If you like alien movies, and was able to watch ‘The Blair With Project’, you’re going to love this movie. If all that running and shaking made you a bit queasy, there’s still a lot to see here. Very watchable and a well written story. Lots for alien movie fans to like here and I’m surprised 3 years later there still isn’t a sequel, although it sounds like they are working on it.
11. Prometheus (I) (2012)
R | 124 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
Votes: 644,502 | Gross: $126.48M
I saw this movie a week ago and needed time, no, I needed a lot of time, to digest what the *beep* happened. Prometheus is unlike any other alien movie I’ve reviewed and deserves kudos for being original, beautifully shot and well-acted. What it does not get high marks for is leaving the audience without any sense of a message or meaning. I haven’t left a movie this frustrated with questions since I saw Inception for the first time. I’m already planning on watching it again next week.
I’ve scoured the internet and found dozens of posts, theories and even an entire fan-site. If you just want some answers, this post is amazing. It’s very long, so I’ll give you my short version. SPOILER ALERT, although I wish I had known this before going into the movie and I hate spoilers. Brace yourself, *beep* about to get cray:
Prometheus is a story about our ancestors, or engineers as they are known in the movie, who gave life to earth by sacrificing one of their own. Sacrificing yourself so others can live in the single most important idea to this ancient civilization. Sacrificing other’s ability to live for your own gain is bad. That’s why when they sent one of their own kind to check up on us humans, Jesus Christ (yes really), we killed him and that pissed them off so the engineers wanted to eradicate us. Problem is, their tool to spread life, a primordial black goo, changes when those around it are descructive, so it turned on them and destroyed them. Then we show up 2000 years later and drama unfolds. That should be enough for you to actually enjoy this beautiful movie, and the cinematography really is exceptional, without being bogged down with the story’s meaning that goes sideways in dozens of ways.
Side note: In preparation for the movie’s release, the team behind the movie created a video for their vision of a TED talk in 2023, presented by one of the movies characters in his youth, and was actually shown at this year’s TED. Worth a watch.
12. Nope (2022)
R | 130 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Director: Jordan Peele | Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott
Votes: 266,391 | Gross: $123.28M
Jordan Peele has had an incredible rise from the sketch comedy show Key and Peele, to Get Out (winner of best screenplay), Us, and now Nope.
One thing I have always tried to do with these reviews is avoid spoilers, and focus more on the “why” I rated a movie from great (#NoNeedToBelieve), to horrible (#WeComeInBoredom). This can be tricky for a mind bending, “what did I just watch” film like Nope is.
First off, I loved it. And now that I have dissected a few scenes on YouTube I think it get the premise a bit more, but it took a few days to really sink in. I love that about it, and to be honest if you’re ok with spoilers, this reddit comment, which is the best review I’ve read so far.
The NYTimes review is good too, featuring this gem:
The main target of its critique is also the principal object of its affection, which we might call — using a name that has lately become something of a fighting word — cinema.
The history of westerns and “the other” dates back since the dawn of film itself. For awhile, the “other” were the indigenous people throughout the Americas, see The New World. Then came Cowboys & Aliens and the symbolic relationship continues with Nope.
Hollywood loves a movie about itself (LaLa Land anyone?) so I will be surprised if Nope isn’t nominated for Best Picture, if not win it. I personally have never liked this trope, it gets in the way of the suspension of disbelief, which ironically in someways is the whole point of the movie. To break those barriers and awaken you to the cost of your entertainment.
13. Alien: Covenant (2017)
R | 122 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride
Votes: 304,152 | Gross: $74.26M
I’m an ardent fan of not reading reviews or watching trailers when possible. For a movie from Ridley Scott and back to the Alien genre this holds especially true.
The last movie in the saga was Prometheus, which I really did enjoy, despite some frustrations. I do my best to not write too many spoilers in these, so I’ll just say this movie was a whole lotta fun; entertaining, high quality production, with a slight tinge of mental thought provoking story. In fact, I’d dare to say that I liked it even more than Prometheus.
In order to convince my wife to go on a date night to see an alien film it better include some suspense, good acting and a story that doesn’t have too many holes. I found this film less over reaching than Prometheus, but also less ambitious. The whole film is pretty solid though, especially Fassbender who delivered an incredible performance. Highly recommend this one, great movie from start to finish.
14. Ender's Game (2013)
PG-13 | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Young Ender Wiggin is recruited by the International Military to lead the fight against the Formics, an insectoid alien race who had previously tried to invade Earth and had inflicted heavy losses on humankind.
Director: Gavin Hood | Stars: Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin
Votes: 254,260 | Gross: $61.74M
The original book by Orson Scott Card had an incredible impact on me growing up and is still the only book I've ready more than twice. I would even say had a hand in me creating this blog in the first place. The story is captivating and relatable. The challenge to making this a movie was not just the need for creative visuals for things that have never been done before, but also the choices of what to cut from a 400+ page book. Where the Hunger Games movie fell, trying to jam the entire book into a two hour movie, Ender's Game did well to focus on specific parts of the story. I was disappointed to lose the beginning ~100 or so pages, but I understand why they did it. The movie was also visually beautiful and creative, and cap it off with the sublime acting of Asa Butterfield. Can't say the same for Harrison Ford though, as well as Moises Arias' portrayal of Bonzo was pretty bad too. Overall I enjoyed the movie and full well knowing I am very biased, fully recommend this one. Now go read the book!
15. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
PG-13 | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
Votes: 737,408 | Gross: $100.21M
I get that not everyone is as big of an alien movie fan as yours truly, but I finally watched this movie and had no idea it was even an alien movie! Why is that? Probably because it is based on a book called “All You Need is Kill”, the movie was originally called “Edge of Tomorrow” and then marketed, and then eventually renamed again, as “Live Die Repeat”. The billboards focused on it starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, but the creativity and surprisingly good story were totally lost in the marketing. Compare this to the ad campaign around Battle: LA and they both seem like enteratining shoot ‘em ups, with one being about an alien invasion and one with futuristic Tom Cruise battling Emily Blunt on a beach. So frustrating, I would have loved to see this opening weekend! I was pleasantly surprised how well done not just the special effects were, but the acting and storyline too. Definitely recommend, very entertaining.
16. Independence Day (1996)
PG-13 | 145 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell
Votes: 605,957 | Gross: $306.17M
Independence Day is an all-american classic about freedom, love, the strength of the human spirit…and aliens of course. The movie takes considerably longer to get started than most modern day alien movies, which seem to jump into first contact right away. It’s done very well though, building plot lines and characters in an entertaining way. One of my favorite lines in the whole movie is when Will Smith partner stares at him, and asks “you scared?” He answers, “nope, you?” and then gives him a big hug. Not sure why, but it’s always stuck with me. There’s also a scene with a dog jumping off a car with the most hilarious fire background that makes me lol every time I watch this movie.
The horribly forced comic lines and worldwide symbolic structures being decimated get old pretty quick. Also, I’m all for cheesy lines, but how did Jeff Goldblum get away with having the line “must go faster” in two consecutive movies?
The ending made me blush in embarrassment more than warming my heart, but the movie was entertaining enough, doing a good job tying up enough loose ends so that you weren’t wondering what the hell happened. ID4 is definitely worth a second look if you passed the first time around and mandatory if you like aliens at all.
17. Super 8 (2011)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Elle Fanning, AJ Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney
Votes: 367,633 | Gross: $127.00M
2011 was a fantastic year for alien movie fans with several high profile movies coming out including Battle: LA in March and then two alien movies in the middle of the height of the summer movie season within six weeks of each other, one being in 1800s Wild West and the other in 1979 Ohio.
Since this was produced by Spielberg and directed by JJ Abrams, I had fairly big expectations for Super 8. You knew it was going to be a wild ride and it sure delivers. A slow beginning explodes into a whirlwind adventure following a set of kids throughout their small rural town. A decent story, although a bit cheesy at times, was well thought out and includes some classic coming-of-age moments.
The biggest thing about this movie was the fact that you could easily watch this was your 12 or 13 year old nephew (it is PG-13). It’s graphic and loud, but not overly violent and never inappropriate. It’s not one of the best alien movies I’ve ever seen, but it is surely #DecentContact.
18. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
PG | 138 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
Roy Neary, an Indiana electric lineman, finds his quiet and ordinary daily life turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO, spurring him to an obsessed cross-country quest for answers as a momentous event approaches.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon
Votes: 216,997 | Gross: $132.09M
Although being an older movie from the 70s, I still had high expectations for Close Encounters of the 3rd kind has it’s considered such a classic in the genre. I could appreciate that there were some original themes and ideas that have been copied over the last 3 decades, but I left the movie feeling just MEH.
So many open questions for me after the movie…so the aliens chose this guy and made him crazy to the point where he left his family and destroyed his life, losing his job and everything he had? Why not pick someone without a family to leave behind?
This movie is prime for a remake in the next 10 years, with a larger focus on the science and algorithms around the iconic sounds and visual displays that everyone remembers about this movie. Instead the original spends too much time developing the characters, having them hike around some random mountain and generally being *beep* crazy. Could have spent more of the time as Contact did with how and why they are communicating in this way. Loved the addition of visual dynamics to the initial contact and could give a new director the ability to do something truly amazing with today’s special effects.
This original original is watchable, not great by any means, but entertaining enough.
19. Annihilation (I) (2018)
R | 115 min | Adventure, Drama, Horror
A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.
Director: Alex Garland | Stars: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Benedict Wong
Votes: 361,852 | Gross: $32.73M
I was tempted to put this into #NoNeedToBelieve as one of the greats, but after sleeping on it, it’s just short of that level. Don’t get me wrong, this is a fantastic movie that has it all: well directed, absolutely beautiful cinematography, creative set design, good story and well acted (besides Jennifer Leigh’s character who drove me crazy). I’m not that into horror in general, but Annihilation combined the shock horror with meaningful character development, which I respect. Similar to the director Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina” the ending leaves you questioning what is it you just watched. What is the message the director is trying to portray? How am I meant to feel after watching this? Without giving too much away, I can say watching this at the same time of my life that I am reading books by Richard Dawkins (River out of Eden my favorite) was remarkable. Evolution is such a big theme to this movie and is quite well done. I can see why Paramount second guessed international release and ended up selling it to Netflix. It’s a complicated movie that some just won’t enjoy, but also polarizing in that some, like myself, really enjoyed it.
20. War of the Worlds (2005)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto
Votes: 475,460 | Gross: $234.28M
I am biased because this was shot in my wife's hometown, and everyone still talks about how nice everyone was, including Tom Cruise. This is a pretty decent remake from the 1953 original, which many argue was even better. The story follows a very standard intro, aliens invade, and then lots great action. Dakota Fanning was really great and the suspenseful moments worth a watch, even for those that aren't that into alien movies.
21. Predator (1987)
R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall, Elpidia Carrillo
Votes: 455,178 | Gross: $59.74M
There is so much awesomeness to this film, but I can't quite give it a #NoNeedToBelieve rating, as it is an action film at its core. An amazing action film, but doesn't have much more to offer. Decent contact, worth watching, especially if you're into alien movies, this should be on your list for sure.
22. Pacific Rim (2013)
PG-13 | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day
Votes: 531,105 | Gross: $101.80M
Amazingly the only alien summer movie of 2013, Pacific Rim was pretty decent. Visual and well done artistically, there was very little to the rest of the movie. In fact, it reminded me of Up, which features one of the best openings ever. If I owned the rights I would already be working on the Prequel, because the first 5 minutes are fantastic.
The rest of the movie is fun entertainment but don’t expect any uniqueness to the alien movie paradigm. Why they are here and how we fought back follows pretty old plot lines, but take yourself to your dealer and enjoy the show.
EDIT: It’s been a few weeks, I have seen the movie again, and I have to say this is one of the best movie of the summer. As I mentioned before, some of the acting isn’t Oscar winning, but we’ve become so reliant on sequels and reboots that it is refreshing to see a new story story. I really hope to see a prequel.
23. Battle Los Angeles (2011)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A squad of U.S. Marines becomes the last line of defense against a global invasion.
Director: Jonathan Liebesman | Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ramón Rodríguez
Votes: 185,212 | Gross: $83.55M
You have to hand it to Sony for making the movie Battle: LA. With a fairly large budget (estimated at $100MM) they have already grossed over $200MM and it hasn’t even been released on blue-ray yet. Between a great marketing campaign involving the cool re-entry circles seen above that have become almost iconic, and big names like Aaron Eckhart (so hot right now) and Michelle Rodriguez, who is now the default Hollywood actress for a women in a military role, the studio did it’s job creating a product that sells.
The movie starts off well and maintains a high energy throughout the first hour. It’s truly entertaining and for an alien invasion movie, it does all the right things. Signs of something approaching the world, general disbelief that anything could go wrong, and then complete domination. I’ve dragged my wife into a lot of these movies and she would like to see aliens that don’t move around like us. The whole two legs, two arms thing is a bit old no?
The military story lines are all too predictable: one guy on his last day before retirement, one guy about to get married and one guy with a baby on the way. Sigh. If I have to fault the movie it’s the last 30 minutes. Really wanes a bit and doesn’t quite have that feel good ending that Independence Day had. Remember that first time you had a GIANT banana split? You’re about 8 years old and you order the jumbo version because why not? You bite into it and think it’s incredible. Best dessert you’ve ever had. Then you get half way through, you’ve eaten a pint of ice cream, a cup of whipped cream and a whole banana…and you’re only half way there. By the time you’re done you think the whole thing was good of course, but you don’t exactly want another one.
Overall, this movie entertains to the max, especially the first hour. Have a few cocktails, sit back and enjoy a great action packed alien movie. As I always say, Explosions and Aliens. What else do you need?
24. Starship Troopers (1997)
R | 129 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Humans, in a fascist militaristic future, wage war with giant alien bugs.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey
Votes: 321,391 | Gross: $54.81M
I watched this when I was pretty young and it is part of why I am so excited about alien movies. Without this movie I doubt I would be writing this blog. Also reminds a bit of Ender's Game, one of my favorite books of all time.
The movie is creative, uses some of the best technology at the time, and has a few twists that are unique to the genre. The acting wasn't exactly academy level, but it's a movie that is fun to watch and enjoyable for years to come.
25. A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
PG-13 | 97 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.
Director: John Krasinski | Stars: Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, John Krasinski
Votes: 273,169 | Gross: $160.07M
Let’s get this out of the way, no this sequel is not as good as the original. BUT! The original is rated “#NoNeedToBelieve” which is a very high bar. The first Quite Place movie is in great company including Alien, Contact and District 9. That said, this sequel still a good movie and well worth your time. John Krasinski’s directing and writing is really well done, similar to part one there are no major gaps or plot holes, the flow of the movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and the acting is superb. Never a dull moment and definitely recommend! Only change I would make was that some of the multiple storylines happening at the same time was a bit rushed. Can’t wait to see where they take part three which was just officially announced.
26. K-PAX (2001)
PG-13 | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
PROT is a patient at a mental hospital who claims to be from a faraway planet named K-PAX. His psychiatrist tries to help him, only to begin to doubt his own explanations.
Director: Iain Softley | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Mary McCormack, Alfre Woodard
Votes: 193,084 | Gross: $50.34M
My ideas about what “contact” would look like continue to evolve, moving more toward small, AI drones and satellites. I watched this movie when it first came out in 2001 and really loved it. I was 19 and afterword my dad and I went out for milkshakes to talk about it. This was an interesting take on first contact, moving beyond the sense of information, delivered to common form. Not some grand scale invasion but instead a singular visitor. Just learning. On their own. Enjoying themselves. What a great way to view contact, as a tourist on a vacation, taking notes to report back of course, but a singular seemingly human looking form, easy to go undetected. Reminds me a lot of the movie “Crazy People” playing off the psych ward idea, and would love a sequel where K-PAX is out in the world interacting with people. Defintely enjoyed it again 20 years later.
27. Galaxy Quest (1999)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
The alumni cast of a space opera television series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help. However, they also have to defend both Earth and the alien race from a reptilian warlord.
Director: Dean Parisot | Stars: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub
Votes: 178,313 | Gross: $71.58M
Every Friday night is Pizza and a Movie night in our household with our two young boys. We try not to repeat movies and as I was scrolling through IMDB kid friendly movies I came across Galaxy Quest, embarrassed that I hadn’t written a review yet. I watched it when it came out on DVD in 1999 and loved it. It was really fun to watch with my boys and see them not quite get the idea of an actor playing an actor, but the concept of aliens coming to earth and needing our help, no problem! As with many films, Alan Rickman (RIP) stole the show offering a deep emotional character we can all relate to. There was something very unique about the movie where it wasn’t quite slap stick comedy, but also clearly wasn’t trying to be too serious either. A family comedy with not-so-hidden adult themes, it really feels like a film unlike any other in this space. For it’s originality and thoroughness (seriously, it all just kind of made sense!) I give it a #DecentMovie tag instead of #AverageMovie. Queue it up for your next family movie night!
28. Oblivion (I) (2013)
PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.
Director: Joseph Kosinski | Stars: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko
Votes: 553,365 | Gross: $89.02M
It’s frustrating to have a movie with so much going for it, fall so hard on its face. The movie has a great soundtrack, beautiful cinematography and creative special effects. Similar to Pacific Rim, Oblivion starts with an engaging and quick introduction that grabs your attention, but the good writing ends there. Sad because there are so many things that are unique and well thought out including the technology and the world in general, but the story so quickly falls apart your mind is questioning the writing from 30 minutes in and you can’t enjoy the show. Then there’s the ending which makes you wish you didn’t even try to watch the movie in the first place. Watch it for the graphics and artistic creativity and little else.
29. The Tomorrow War (2021)
PG-13 | 138 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A family man is drafted to fight in a future war where the fate of humanity relies on his ability to confront the past.
Director: Chris McKay | Stars: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin
Votes: 227,986
The first new major motion alien picture in almost two years! Let’s just say I was very excited to watch this one and of course, watched it opening night. I held off writing a review because I was torn about it. On one side, it’s got decent graphics and a somewhat interesting take on the alien “where did they come from?” question. On the other hand, Pratt has several real acting moments that fell horribly flat. His sarcastic comedy featured in Guardians of the Galaxy (and Parks & Rec) are a good fit, but big dramatic moments not so much. There is a scene with his dad where he slams his hand down on a table that was way over acted, things went downhill from there. Too bad that was at the 20th minute. :/ There’s also just so many plot holes I gave up trying to write them down. Why this timeframe? Why 30 years? Why only 7 days? Can they communicate between the time outside of the transporting of people? If they can only teleport people who would have died before the Aliens arrive, why not transport people back from 100 years ago when everyone is dead anyway? It’s not all bad, it has a real star ship troopers vibe which of course I loved. It felt like it tried too hard and should have just been a fun summer film and instead attempted to be a serious film where it clearly was not. The main reason I held off on writing this review though was that something had been eating at me about how this concept could have been amazing. Somewhat similar to Stargate this has a great TV show potential. What if they lean into the concept of a time travel device like the Manhattan Project, only one or two available at first, but building more over time. Each episode would be a new device coming online and bringing a group of soliders back from a different time period and region. 12th century Mongolian horse archers, 1st century Spartans, etc. Lean into the historical differences and strengths of each period. Get Dan Carlin from Hardcore History fame to write it. Man I’d love this show, history and aliens, sign me up!
30. Extraterrestrial (2011)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
A man awakens in the bedroom of a one-night stand and discovers that he must stay in her building indefinitely while the authorities deal with last night's UFO invasion. Also, her weirdo neighbor has a huge unrequited crush on her.
Director: Nacho Vigalondo | Stars: Julián Villagrán, Michelle Jenner, Raúl Cimas, Carlos Areces
Votes: 4,108
Extraterrestrial is a spanish independent film that I genuinely enjoyed. Decent contact for a unique plot and not trying to over complicate things.
As I am getting older I am finding the thing I really enjoy about alien movies is less about the graphics, explosions and creepy sound effects, and more about the connection that we all share when there is a common enemy. This movie twists that inside out and shows us that anyone could be an enemy or your lover.
31. Space Jam (1996)
PG | 88 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
In a desperate attempt to win a basketball match and earn their freedom, the Looney Tunes seek the aid of retired basketball champion, Michael Jordan.
Director: Joe Pytka | Stars: Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle, Manner Washington
Votes: 213,595 | Gross: $90.46M
It’s been a long few months as we continue to shelter in place as a result of the COVID epidemic. My wife and I watched “The Last Dance”, which was fantastic, and there was a scene where Michael Jordan was filming Space Jam. I had an epiphany that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t reviewed it! I loved this film when it came out in 1996.
Friday night is family movie night in our household so we added Space Jam to the list. Once we started Space Jam we realized that our kids had never watched looney toons and they didn’t know any of these iconic characters. It’s amazing how much content they have been watching since COVID started and yet, they had never seen roadrunner, bugs bunny, daffy duck and the rest of the gang.
We also typically watch a good amount of sports so watching some basketball in the movie was fun too.
Space Jam is to date the only family friendly alien movie I would recommend. Avatar is close, but still too graphic for those under 10, Valerian and Pixels are both terrible, and don’t get me started on Escape from Planet Earth.
It well encapsulates so much of the mid-90’s culture and sensibilities, while providing a fun, easy to watch movie with some of the biggest icons of the time, all packaged in a surprisingly pretty solid movie!
I recommend Space Jam for a Friday night on the couch with the whole family.
32. Lilo & Stitch (2002)
PG | 85 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A young and parentless girl adopts a 'dog' from the local pound, completely unaware that it's supposedly a dangerous scientific experiment that's taken refuge on Earth and is now hiding from its creator and those who see it as a menace.
Directors: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders | Stars: Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers
Votes: 211,835 | Gross: $145.79M
The family friendly genre of Alien Movies has been one I didn’t think to much about (don’t get me started on the comedy genre). Thanks to COVID I have been able to share my love of alien movies with the whole family. Just last week we enjoyed Space Jam and now this week, Lilo & Stitch. I’ll be honest, the “alien” element was loose at best. There’s no reason to think this couldn’t have been the same movie with an unruly pet or animal from an undiscovered jungle. That said, it’s a classic Disney story, full of family conflict and by the end the whole family was rooting for Lilo & Stitch.
33. They Live (1988)
R | 94 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George 'Buck' Flower
Votes: 145,597 | Gross: $13.01M
I started this site a decade ago and one of my favorite aspects of sharing this pet project are the recommendations friends have for movies that I haven’t reviewed yet. It happens less and less nowadays as I work through all the great historical Alien Movies, but within a one week span I had two friends bring “They Live” to my attention. A 1988 John Carpenter film, I had fairly low expectations. I thought this would be a Friday night, couple drinks and meh movie at best. Boy was I wrong, this is a top 20 alien film!
I generally try and avoid spoilers as much as I can, but I will say that this is a very slow moving film where aliens are not introduced until over half way through. The notion that we are all sheep and subliminally being told what to do is more true than ever in our omnipresent, online digital world.
This movie lasts a mere 90 minutes and yet dedicates 10% of the movie to a single fight scene that really wasn’t needed. And yet…it’s an all time great fight scene for any movie (Bloodsport will always be the king).
In summary, with a line like “life’s a bitch and it’s back in heat”, is exactly what this movie brings to the table. Over handed, in your face, with a bit of panache that makes it quite enjoyable. Combine the one-handed automatic rifle accuracy with generally well thought out plot of why the aliens are here and why we’re slaves to their propaganda, and it’s definitely worth a watch.
34. The World's End (2013)
R | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from twenty years earlier unwittingly become humanity's only hope for survival.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike
Votes: 298,291 | Gross: $26.00M
Finally an Alien Comedy movie worth watching! The genre has had some rough ones. Simon Pegg’s first go at this was Paul, which I hated, and don’t get me started on The Watch, which was simply awful.
The World’s End was entertaining and quite hilarious at times. Also includes a great quote from the Primal Scream song ‘Loaded’, included below. Some of the alien moments were a bit strange but with a little dose of suspension of disbeief and heart for your childhood friends you’ll enjoy this as much as I did.
The truncated Fonda quote sampled at the beginning of the song:
Just what is it that you want to do?
We wanna be free
We wanna be free to do what we wanna do
And we wanna get loaded
And we wanna have a good time
That’s what we’re gonna do
35. Bird Box (2018)
R | 124 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.
Director: Susanne Bier | Stars: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson
Votes: 386,532
2019 is off to a great start! The Alien movies of 2008–2015 were heavy on the special effects, simple plot lines and Summer blockbusters. As of late we’re seeing more well thought out stories that rely less on the eye candy and more on the emotional connections to each other and those we make contact with.
For me, A Quiet Place was a better film, with the obvious comparisons between sight and sound. Reading through the reviews of the book of the same name that Bird Box is based on I’m left feeling a bit disappointed how much better this movie could have been. I always avoid spoilers in my reviews, so I won’t get into details, but I do believe this could have been a more graphic film, with more emotion causation attached to the characters action, and I think maybe suffered by trying to reach too large of an audience. That said, it’s still a great film and one where you don’t need to believe to enjoy.
36. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. Captain Picard and his crew pursue them to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes his maiden flight reaching warp speed.
Director: Jonathan Frakes | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton
Votes: 132,112 | Gross: $92.00M
I’m not a huge trekkie by any means, but I did enjoy this movie. The dialog around why contact matters, how this can affect the world and the event itself is very well done. Not a fan of the bumbling borg people, but don’t let this distract you from the uplifting message that we can be a better civilization if things like food, shelter and clean water are provided to all. Meaning becomes an internal bettering of oneself, not the pursuit of money and possessions. Although idealistic and unpractical, it’s certainly a nice idea.
37. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat.
Director: Steven S. DeKnight | Stars: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Burn Gorman
Votes: 127,359 | Gross: $59.87M
Let’s get this out of the way: This sequal to Pacific Rim was always going to be terrible without Guillermo del Toro more involved. So, of course I went in with the lowest expectations. Child actor heavy cast as well? O god…and yet…it wasn’t that bad! The action scenes were well choreographed, creative even. The dialog and acting were terrible, of course, with Boyega’s accent coming in and out throughout the movie, but the plot itself…again, wasn’t that bad! Maybe it’s just that my expectations were set so low, but I still hold out hope for this francise. It’s set up well for a 3rd movie now, and I’ve always said that the truly great movie for this story will be the prequel to the first movie. Can I recommend it? Kind of. I’ve seen worse, and if you’re looking for a Friday night movie after a long week at work, that’s easy enough to follow and has as much eye candy as any Fast and The Furious, give it a go.
38. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A young woman is held in an underground bunker by a man who insists that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable.
Director: Dan Trachtenberg | Stars: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Douglas M. Griffin
Votes: 354,976 | Gross: $72.08M
I was able to see @10CloverfieldLn on opening night, but it took me a week to really process the film. First off, let me set expectations that it is hard to even call this an Alien Movie, and I thought for awhile about not even writing a post. I decided there is a enough symbolism about human nature in the ending, especially outlined in this SPOILERS FILLED review by TheVerge.
A few notes before you decide to watch this though: It is dark, scary and disturbing. I don’t mean in the horror alien genre way the original Alien made so famous. I mean in the troubling, mental, Hitchcock way when you saw The Birds for the first time. It is a fast paced, well written, efficient movie that definitely keeps your interest, but don’t expect feeling happy after it. Still think worth watching though.
39. Attack the Block (2011)
R | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.
Director: Joe Cornish | Stars: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Leeon Jones
Votes: 111,446 | Gross: $1.02M
Being a huge arsenal fan, I have a soft spot for any media from Britain. Techno music, crappy TV and the fun movies about a group of British kids. So, that being said I went into this low-budget movie with decent expectations.
The alien aspect was a bit off for me with very little offered in terms of why they were there and where they came from. I would almost call this more of a monsters movie, than an alien movie.
The other thing that really irked me was the acting. Any time you have a group of untested youth actors, you’ll have some impressive performances and others show their inexperience. On multiple occasions i wanted to fast forward the scene as I couldn’t stand the awkwardness.
Besides that though the movie is pretty decent. The story progresses well and I was happy to sit through a few bad moments for some good entertainment. Have a few cocktails and enjoy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this gets picked up a few years from now by the major studios and given an american re-work, with more of a horror focus.
40. Beyond Skyline (2017)
R | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
A tough-as-nails detective embarks on a relentless pursuit to free his son from a nightmarish alien warship.
Director: Liam O'Donnell | Stars: Frank Grillo, Bojana Novakovic, Jonny Weston, Callan Mulvey
Votes: 23,476
So here I am on New Years Eve, at home since we have a newborn and flipping through our Apple TV to find something to watch when “Beyond Skyline” pops up out of nowhere. Back on May 3rd, 2011 I wrote my review of the original movie, Skyline, and predicted a sequel. You know how people always argue about how the sequel to any movie isn’t as good as the original? Well, here ya go, Beyond Skyline is not only better than the original, it is much better. The writing is average, which is big upgrade from the original, the acting was what you would expect for an action film, but the story and fight scenes were actually pretty good! When a movie like Bright gets so much attention and viewership and was downright terrible, I am confused why more people don’t know about this. In fact, I’m not sure why it wasn’t marketed or ever released to theaters (at least I didn’t see it anywhere). I hope it does well in VOD and/or gets picked up by one of the streaming giants. Lastly, I’m excited to see where Liam O’Donnell goes from here. Coming from Special Effects background and now making his director debut, can’t wait to see what’s next!
41. Battleship (2012)
PG-13 | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals.
Director: Peter Berg | Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson, Rihanna
Votes: 257,432 | Gross: $65.42M
I haven’t loved a movie this much since Battle LA. I dragged a few friends with me who weren’t huge alien movie fans and they were pleasantly surprised how entertaining it was, more than Cowboys and Aliens at least. The effects were latest standards, especially the sounds, and the technology the aliens used was pretty creative. The plot line was easy to follow without too many holes and I thought the main character did a good job after a rocky start. Rihanna was pretty bad though, check out all of her lines and you’ll see why.
Let’s remember, they took a board game and turned it into a full on movie. For that, and the great way they incorporated it, they get extra credit. They don’t address all the things that make a great alien movie like why they came to earth, or a greater symbolic message, but I enjoyed it.
42. Avatar (2009)
PG-13 | 162 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Votes: 1,387,055 | Gross: $760.51M
Apparently watching a movie in 3D on January 1st at 11:00am is not a good idea. Horribly hungover and getting the spins while watching through 3D glasses was not an enjoyable experience. I also did not appreciate the blatant rip off of so many great movies including Princess of Mononoke and even Pocahontas. Everyone loved this movie but I simply did not. Yes the art direction was award winning, but cheesy lines and predictable story ruined it for me.
43. After Earth (2013)
PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, a millennium after events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Jaden Smith, David Denman, Will Smith, Sophie Okonedo
Votes: 208,978 | Gross: $60.52M
It's too bad this movie wasn't more successful. Will Smith's son Jaden had a big opportunity here, but it left me wanting more. A lot more. Similar to another Alien movie in 2013, Oblivion, the art direction was pretty good. They created a version of Earth that was entertaining and scenic. The problem was the difficult transition from an entertaining introduction to an actual story and Jaden is not ready for this level of a central role. I'm sure he'll get there with Will mentoring him, but this was way too early for him.
44. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A spaceship arrives in 1873 Arizona to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. All that stands in their way: a posse of cowboys and natives.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Abigail Spencer
Votes: 232,566 | Gross: $100.24M
What’s to say about an alien movie that blends Cowboys and Aliens, and I don’t just mean the title. What do you expect? Shoot em ups, old corale style? Check. Surprising amazing sounds effects? Check. But what about the simple amazing ability of Hollywood’s top people to recruit amazing talent like Daniel Craig and (out of retirement) Harrison Ford? Check.
I’m not going to lie. When I saw the first ad for Cowboy & Aliens during the Super Bowl I jumped out of my seat with excitement. Obviously I’m a huge fan of any movie related to aliens, but throw in cowboys and a ridiculous cast, *beep* YES.
So, onto the movie. Let’s be clear about one thing. When you set your expectations to the above criteria, this movie dominates. I don’t just mean it’s entertaining. It makes you so giddy to the point where you’re clapping your hands in sarcastic exuberance. More than anything this a movie that should entertain and not ask questions. There are no political or human desire motivations and with a movie with this title there shouldn’t be.
How the hell Jon Favreau convinced this cast to do this movie is beyond me, but he did put together a thoroughly entertaining movie that you can watch on a Friday night after a grueling week of work, or a Saturday afternoon hungover as hell as I’ll probably be tomorrow.
Overall, I did enjoy it and I hope you do too…giving the title and all.
45. Cocoon (1985)
PG-13 | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
When a group of trespassing seniors swim in a pool containing alien cocoons, they find themselves energized with youthful vigor.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy
Votes: 68,860 | Gross: $76.11M
One of the first things I noticed when researching this review was the IMDB pages for the actors being all black and white, headshots from another time at the beginning of the film industry. This whole film felt like an end of an era. The classical and big bang music. The great american 1950s soda pop and diners. It’s all about the elderly on their last hurrah fulfilling the fountain of youth dream, mixed with so many cringe worthy lines like, “want a piece of candy little girl?” Ugh.
All that said, this whole story isn’t unique to those living out their final years. We all need community, a sense of belonging, and purpose. Combine that with the ability to feel great for the first time in decades…I mean, who wouldn’t be excited about these new aliens coming to Earth? If there are coming of age movies, like Super 8, what are these called. End of age?
Interesting to see the smattering of call outs to previous Alien films before 1980, like “Face eating“ and ” Taking over my body”. Love seeing the historical nature of these films take place. Reminded me of K-Pax and They Live’s plot with aliens integrating to the world, undetected and in small numbers using the “skin” of a human.
Overall, I did like this movie, partially because I remember watching this with my parents growing up. There is more suspension of disbelief than I would like, with major plot lines like “life force” and what happened “100 centuries ago”, let alone how they go to Earth. Cool ideas about culture differences though.
46. Skyline (2010)
PG-13 | 92 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame where an extraterrestrial force threatens to swallow the entire human population off the face of the Earth.
Directors: Colin Strause, Greg Strause | Stars: Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel
Votes: 92,196 | Gross: $21.37M
Skyline was the first alien movie i’ve seen in years that was so horrible that i enjoyed it. The acticting was sub-par (that guy from Dexter got a movie role?!) and the directing wasn’t great either but take it for what it is: two high end special graphics engineers convinced a studio to give them $10,000,000 to create an effects based movie. The fact that the main character you’re relating to the most is killed in the first 30 minutes says something.
Overall, yes it was horrible, and yes it was a bad script with unexperienced actors and unknown directors, but for someone who loves alien movies, i enjoyed it! The ending was so off from the rest of the movie that i must assume this sequel is actually going to happen.
47. The Signal (2014)
PG-13 | 97 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
On a road trip, Nic and two friends are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness - only to find himself in a waking nightmare.
Director: William Eubank | Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp, Laurence Fishburne
Votes: 69,285 | Gross: $0.60M
For a movie that allegely only cost $5m to make, it’s quite watchable. In that you’re sick and going through a sci-fi binge-watchable. Super slow to get going and you’ll read a lot about the ending, which I won’t spoil for you, but if you get 30 or so minutes in, take the extra hour and finish it. It’s a great mixture of internal strive and alien conquest.
Also, last note…I feel bad for Lawerence Fischburne. His presentation in any sci-fi movie will also remind me of the Matrix.
48. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
PG-13 | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna
Votes: 196,998 | Gross: $41.19M
Let’s see, where to start….
Incredible creativity for the characters, aliens, costume and set design? CHECK!
Latest and greatest in Special Effects? CHECK!
And a great script right? Wait, they forgot to write a good script? O boy.
The wheels fall off real quick from there and yet, it is hard to say “you should never see this”, because there is so much else to offer.
Possibly there is an unfair expectation of the 5th Element here, but man this story, and especially the dialog, were terrible. That said, grab a nice cocktail or bottle of wine and go into it as mindless entertainment wrapped in a beautiful, creative in other ways, alien themed movie.
49. Pixels (2015)
PG-13 | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage
Votes: 159,423 | Gross: $78.75M
Let’s be honest, I’ve written extensively about the strangely growing sub-genre of alien comedies. Paul was awful, The Worlds End was ok, and please don’t ever watch The Watch. Adam Sandler can walk into any studio, ask for $100mm, and combine alien movie with the recent cult status of the novel “Ready Player One”. Done. I have a good friend who’s a screenwriter in LA and we seriously wondered if we could write a better story. Why not include actual science and maybe details from Voyager 1? Anyway, it’s a fine movie for a Friday night, not worth much more.
50. Alien Nation (1988)
R | 91 min | Action, Sci-Fi
In 1988, Earth makes the first contact with an alien civilization. In 1991, these aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after three years of quarantine.
Director: Graham Baker | Stars: James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Terence Stamp, Kevyn Major Howard
Votes: 16,672 | Gross: $25.22M
I’m not one for old movies, which I define as anything before 1995, and a sci-movie from the 80s that’s watchable is incredibly hard to come by. So, that said, I went into this movie with extremely low expectations.
Overall, Alien Nation is simply a cop movie with aliens added in, but without much creativity added around the aliens. The fact that they aliens look almost identical to us except for the lack of hair is pretty ridiculous. The acting was pretty terrible as well, but for some reason the story kept engaged. I wanted to turn it off a few times but held on, and then, when it was over was glad that I watched it.
It’s not a great movie, but it’s certainly one of the best alien movie from the 1980s. Watchable? Yes, if you #takemetoyourdealer.
51. Before We Vanish (2017)
R | 129 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
Three aliens travel to Earth in preparation for a mass invasion, taking possession of human bodies.
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Masami Nagasawa, Ryûhei Matsuda, Hiroki Hasegawa, Masahiro Higashide
Votes: 2,822 | Gross: $0.05M
Back in 2010 there was a TV show called Heroes in which the villain could steal super powers from other heros. It was an interesting concept that showed the growing, exponential power of knowledge as concepts build on each other. Before We Vanish is about three aliens who are setting up for the larger invasion by learning about humanity. When they “learn” something the person they “took” it from no longer can comprehend that concept, be it family, possession or what work is. There’s a lot of great parallels to Heroes in that regard and I like how it built throughout the movie. Now, set your expectations low. A low budget local movie did its best with special effects and the ending felt very…french noir. Creative take at least, I’ve certainly seen worse movies!
52. Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. But will mankind's new space defenses be enough?
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe
Votes: 188,760 | Gross: $103.14M
Let’s just get this out of the way: this movie is terrible. The original was great on so many levels including the acting, humor and an actual message of human’s ability to work together. Ya, this new movie has none of those. Resurgence also tries to throw in a bunch of similar scenes identical to the original, which Star Wars Force Awakens did well, but again falls flat. I’m going to try and write at least one nice thing about every movie I review going forward, and there is an amazing scene where the aliens are “hunting” the humans. That was pretty cool. The rest felt like a copy/paste that went horribly wrong. Someone hit control-z.
53. The Predator (2018)
R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race.
Director: Shane Black | Stars: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key
Votes: 143,513 | Gross: $51.02M
The original Predator is #18 on my all time list (as of 2018). That may seem low, but there’s some seriously amazing films above that and there is a steep drop off after it. It’s fact, in the “alien action film” genre, it’s far and away the best ever. I have seen Predator 2 and Predators and didn’t even feel like wasting my time writing about them. I may start a new “Don’t Watch” list and just leave the titles there and be done with it, but this did have promise. The cast is pretty good with Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown (This is Us), Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight ) and writer/director Shane Black has put out some great movies (Lethal Weapon, Last Action Hero, Nice Guys, etc). So what happened? I mean, seriously, how do you fuck this up so bad? What I’ve been trying to figure out is what was the goal of this film. My limited understanding of how these things work, there is an initial “pitch”. Wasn’t a reboot since it starts in modern day and didn’t have any clear sense for purpose or meaning. I just can’t figure it out. Some funny lines ado to the original and Travante particularly made the most of his role but lead man Boyd was meh at best and the rest just muddled through. I’m so disappointed. Lastly, the rating. I looked through the movies I have rated that were clearly not good films, but still made the #TakeMeToYourDealer category and then compared them to the #WeComeInBoredom category. In every case there was something that made the movie good at least in some way. The cinematography, the special effects, the story, creativity, literally anything. What was unique, let alone even remotely good about this latest installament of the Predator series? NOTHING. Not a god damn thing. As discussed above there were lots of somewhat average aspects, but nothing was good, nothing was creative and nothing deserves to be recommended.
54. American Warships (2012 Video)
TV-14 | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When a US plane is taken down over seas by an unknown assailant, the army is sure it was North Korea and a new war is about to break out. Even worse, the true attacker is an alien armed force and only one old battleship can stop them.
Director: Thunder Levin | Stars: Mario Van Peebles, Carl Weathers, Johanna Watts, Nikki McCauley
Votes: 2,737
I can’t say I ever watch made for TV movies and didn’t know they made movies this bad. The quality dips pretty far in special effects and acting quality, but in some ways the story itself was even better than the $200MM budget Battleship. The story had far fewer holes and included one of the best lines of all time: “There’s no way I’m going to let you sink my battleship.” How did they not have this line in the big budget movie?!?
I’m all about expectations and for a low budget movie, it was quite enjoyable. The questions as to why they came here, their technology, and everything that makes an alien story great were addressed and worked into the story. As long as you know you won’t be seeing an Emmy performance or mind blowing special effects, it was surprisingly enjoyable. I recommend for a rainy Sunday afternoon or after a few cocktails.
55. Mars Attacks! (1996)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
Earth is invaded by Martians with unbeatable weapons and a cruel sense of humor.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Annette Bening
Votes: 243,631 | Gross: $37.77M
Look at this cast: Directed by Tim Burton, starring Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, SJP, Michael J. Fox, Natalie Portman, etc. etc.
How on earth was this move this bad? Trying to make an alien comedy film is like cooking risotto on Top Chef, you just shouldn't do it and it's a curse for a terrible end result. I still am yet to see a good alien comedy film (The Watch anyone? ughh) and this movie continues the trend. I was left wondering half way through whether there was some joke I was missing. Definitely not worth your time.
56. Paul (2011)
R | 104 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Two English comic book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.
Director: Greg Mottola | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Mia Stallard
Votes: 266,222 | Gross: $37.41M
This movie is marketed as an alien comedy, an ambitious idea with the only others in the category being Coneheads and possibly Space Balls. I don’t include Mars Attacks or Men In Black, as those have so much more to offer than comedy like action, creativity and overall quality. I get it, we haven’t had a comedy about alien(s) is quite awhile and the 80s and early 90s were littered with them, but plainly put, this movie sucked. I do generally like the two British guys, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, especially Shawn of the Dead, but this was a huge flop.
The best example of why this movie was so bad is the 2nd scene when the two main characters Graeme and Clive are out in the Area 51 area at a diner. After buying a sticker titled “Alien on Board”, being the big nerdy, alien believers they are, they slap it on the back of their RV. Two minutes later they make contact with Paul, the alien, and then freak out and rip the sticker off the RV. At least 10 minutes introducing the stupid sticker and then just rip it off for some quick laugh, which caused no LOLz for me.
The acting was terrible, the action scenes stupid, including unnecessarily blowing up a house in the middle of nowhere, and the writing was even worse. Of all the alien movies I’ve watched this is definitely in the crap pile. This alien definitely came in boredom.
57. Escape from Planet Earth (2012)
PG | 89 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Astronaut Scorch Supernova finds himself caught in a trap when he responds to an SOS from a notoriously dangerous alien planet, Earth.
Director: Cal Brunker | Stars: Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry
Votes: 26,891 | Gross: $57.01M
There are many sub genres of Alien films. Horror, cerebral, summer blockbuster, etc. Comedy is one that has flopped multiple times (Paul, The Watch, etc) and I’ll now add Alien Kids Movies to that list too. This was terrible. Of course my kids watched it and thought it was “OK”, but they’ll watch anything. I’ll be shocked if they ask to watch again. I debated not even writing a review because the only human character is a one-dimensional villain who wants to take over the galaxy, why exactly is wrapped in some mourning of his Dad? Very confusing and unclear. The rest of the plot lines, jokes (more like gags) and story were so one-note and predictable it was hard to watch. I get it, it’s a kids movie, but Pixar has set the bar so high that I we’re now taught to believe that you can make something that both kids and adults can enjoy and this was not that.
58. The Watch (I) (2012)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
Four men who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.
Director: Akiva Schaffer | Stars: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Billy Crudup
Votes: 133,058 | Gross: $35.35M
One genre of alien movies that has not been properly addressed is the comedy. Paul was downright awful and ‘The Watch’ wasn’t much better. I didn’t even know it was an alien movie until about 45 minutes in and once I did it quickly spun out of control. How can a movie with four funny comedians produce such a pile of goo? I wouldn’t even recommend this when nothing else is on, it’s that bad. The bar is officially set really low, too bad really, but once I do watch the first alien comedy I’m going to be pretty excited.
Tell Your Friends