The Top 10 Best Alien Movies
5. Predator
Not only is this one of the best alien movies of all time, but it’s also one of the best “get to da choppa” movies ever. In all seriousness though, Predator gave us one of the most iconic movie extraterrestrials of all time. Not only that, but this is easily one of the scariest aliens making an appearance on this list. Predator went on to spawn not only 4 direct sequels, but he also did battle with another alien that’s going to be making an appearance on this list not once, but twice. Hell, he even had Arnold on the ropes for the vast majority of this film. The Predator is one of the most brutal and terrifying species in the known cinematic universe and one that always manages to give humans a run for their money. They’re definitely not a species I’d ever want to see coming from the stars.
4. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Like I said earlier, not all alien movies are terrifying. In fact, some are staples of our childhood. E.T. is one of the most beloved extraterrestrials and he was far too beautiful for this planet. Like Super 8 this is a film about kids discovering lost aliens who just want to go home. Fortunately, not all movie kids are super creepy and E.T. lucked out when he stumbled upon Elliot and Gertie since they weren’t really interested in cutting him open to see how he ticks. The same can’t be said for the government officials that were after him and while Spielberg might have gone back and done a bit of digital magic, let’s me tell you that those agents were packing heat the first time E.T. came to theaters.
3. Arrival
Even The Academy loves good alien movies. Then again it’s little wonder when it comes to Arrival. Of all the films on this list, Arrival is pretty hard science fiction. It not only gives audiences a totally unique vision of what visitors from another planet might look like, but it also explores a whole plethora of other problems that might come from aliens visiting our planet. For one thing, how are we going to understand them much less their incredibly advanced technology? Arrival handles these questions with a delicate touch that easily makes it one of the best alien movies of all time. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but if you’re looking to use some brains cells, this is definitely a movie you’ll want to check out.
2. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Another Steven Spielberg movie manages to make an appearance on this list, and this one is a tad bit more mature than E.T. Close Encounters of the Third Kind blends together a lot of the elements that audiences love so much much about great alien movies. It’s not just a horror movie dressed up as science fiction. Instead, it takes a hard look at what first contact with aliens might actually be like and it’s more than just a little complicated. It turns out that math isn’t the only universal language and soon humans and aliens bond over sick beats. All joking aside this is probably one of the greatest movies ever made back from the real hay day of Spielberg movies. If you haven’t seen it then you’re going to want to check it out ASAP.
1. Alien
Of course, things don’t always go so nicely when it aliens and humans collide. One of the scariest movies of all time is also the greatest alien movie ever made. Ridley Scott has contributed a lot to science fiction over the years, but one of his most memorable creations has got to be the xenomorph. A jet black creature that kills anything that moves and has acid for blood makes for one creepy alien invader. However, this isn’t a list just featuring scary aliens. This film is coming in at number one because it’s a gothic horror flick that creates an intense feeling of claustrophobia and dread. During an age when space travel with looked upon with bright optimistic eyes, Alien showed just how horrifying the darkness of space could be when you run into an intergalactic monster.
I’ll be the first to admit that this was one of the hardest top 10 lists for me to nail down because there are just so many amazing alien movies out there. I’d love to hear what you think of the flicks that manage to make it into the top 10 though. So leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite alien movies of all time are, and be sure to check back to see how this list is updated as new movies continue to hit theaters.