The Top 10 Best Alien Movies
Feeling Lonely? These Alien Movies Will Remind You How Small Earth Is.
I’m not the kind of person arrogant enough to think that all life in the universe exists on this little blue ball we call earth. That’s why I’m a huge fan of alien movies. No matter whether they’re classic science fiction, horror films, or just family-friendly adventure flicks, there’s just something about alien m ovies that always grabs my attention. Unfortunately, streaming services like Prime, Netflix, and Hulu have taught me that there are a lot more bad alien movies than good ones. Not to worry though, because this week your friendly neighborhood film critic is taking it upon himself to count down some of the best extraterrestrial movies of all time. The only rules I’ve given myself is to stick with one example from each franchise (otherwise we’d be looking at Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, etc). I’ve also decided to try to stick to films that only feature one otherworldly visitor and not movies that feature a ton of different species. That being said we’ve got everything alien lovers could possibly love on this list. So get ready for a close encounter of the cinema kind because this list features a lot more than just some swamp gas caught in weather balloons.
10. Super 8
J.J. Abrams made a pretty solid contribution to the Stars & Popcorn’s List of the 10 Best Giant Movie Monsters with Cloverfield. However, he definitely deserves a spot on this list with his coming of age alien movie Super 8. If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, then you’ll love the aesthetic of Super 8. The film features a group of young teens who discover strange things are afoot in their small town. It turns out that a genuine alien is hiding out from the government and just wants to make it back home again before it can get cut up and experimented on. Being young and idealistic the kids decide to give the alien a hand. Super 8 earns a spot on this list because it proves not all alien movies have to be absolutely terrifying.
9. District 9
Looking for a little social commentary with the science fiction? Well then have we got a movie for you! District 9 takes place in South Africa where an alien mothership loaded up with passengers breaks down above Johannesburg. Unfortunately, South Africa isn’t exactly known for their tolerance when it comes to people, so with a whole new species to be prejudice, it’s like Christmas for them. District 9 is not only a great alien movie, but it has features a concept not normally explored in these kinds of movies, namely how incredibly hostile man can be to our visitors from other planets. Plus director Neil Blomkamp is pretty incredible when it comes to science fiction, which is why this movie also appeared on Stars & Popcorn’s lists of coolest movie mechs and sci-fi guns.
8. War of the Worlds (2005)
Blasphemy! How could I possibly prefer a remake over the original? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret I learned in film school, just because someone did it first doesn’t mean they did it the best. That’s why the Tom Cruise version of this alien movie is making its way onto this list. Those of you familiar with this classic H.G. Wells sci-fi story will remember that it’s a tale about humanity getting its collective butts stomped by invaders from another planet. That is until they get a back case of the sniffles and discover health care isn’t universal on earth. With there’s no arguing that the original wasn’t a pretty good movie, there’s just something the remake had that it didn’t. Lots and lot’s of Tom Cruise running, and that makes any movie more exciting in my book.
7. The Abyss
With over 70% of the Earth’s surface covered in water (and that numbers going to keep on growing thanks to global warming), it makes sense that alien invaders might crash into the ocean. That’s why The Abyss is making it onto this list of amazing alien movies. Not only is it a terrific film, but it pretty much jump-started James Cameron’s obsession with the deep. In it, a bunch of civilian divers are recruited by the Navy to help find a missing submarine. Of course, the Navy doesn’t see fit to share that the sub might be missing because it ran into an unidentified life form, but that’s need to know. Luckily, when the crew does run into the alien creature they decide to use their brains instead of their brawn. A lesson we should consider when it comes to dealing with extraterrestrials.
6. Starman
Starman is one of my all-time favorite Jeff Bridges movies. Of course, John Carpenter is no stranger to alien movies, but this is a far cry from The Thing that came out two years before. Instead, this time around the alien is a benevolent visitor that’s come to Earth to learn more about it and the people inhabiting this strange blue planet. The problem is that most people that Starman runs into are pretty awful. That doesn’t stop him from finding the good in humans though and he goes on to share one of my favorite movie lines of all time, “You are a strange species. Not like any other. And you’d be surprised how many there are. Intelligent but savage. Shall I tell you what I find beautiful about you? You are at your very best when things are worst.” For me, that’s one of the most beautiful insights into humanity I’ve ever heard from a movie.