To celebrate the release of Battle: Los Angeles releasing in theaters today, we’ve decided to take a look back at some of the best alien invasion movies ever released. Ranging from horror to action to even comedy, these fifteen films (we couldn’t limit it to just 10) represent the best that hollywood has to offer when it comes to alien invasion.
15. Signs (2002)
Kicking things off on this list is M. Night Shyamalan’s last halfway decent film. Certainly not any great achievement in film, or the alien invasion genre, but it was effective and better than a lot of other efforts. What was different about this film than others on this list, is that it brought a sense of claustrophobia to the alien invasion, making the characters’ world smaller and smaller until it seems like there is no way out. Most invasion flicks try to show devastation on a massive scale, but Shyamalan smartly sticks to making this a very character driven story and pulls it off for the most part.
By character driven, I mean it drove its lead actors to eventually go insane.
14. The Faculty (1998)
Mixing alien invasion with 1990’s teen slasher, The Faculty is a very underrated and often overlooked movie when talking about the teen slasher. Written by Kevin Williamson (Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer) and directed by Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk ’til Dawn, Sin City), The Faculty is a well written and well-directed horror film with a unique and entertaining concept, Despite the genre and the incredibly cliche movie poster.
This film’s story is enhanced by a cast littered with current future stars of its time including: Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Salma Hayek, Famke Jannsen, Christopher McDonald, Usher Raymond, Jon Stewart, and Elijah Wood. As an added bonus for those of you watching the film as a repeated viewing; see how many Terminator franchise references you can pick up on, there are quite a few.
Pictured: Dr. Edward Furlong
13. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Sci-fi seems to work best when it fights the system. While this film is not very subtle about it, in the 1950’s it took a lot of grit to criticize society. In 1951, The Day the Earth Stood Still brought a new tent pole for the science fiction genre, even if now its special effects look like they would be fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Subtlety wasn't invented until the 1960s
To me, this was like the Citizen Kane of science fiction, great in its time, changing the genre forever, but it still has its flaws in story and acting. The updated version fails to have the effect that the original did, even with spectacular special effects, because its overt environmental message is no longer considered cool or subversive; all the guts that made the first one so great were removed.
12. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
B-movie entertainment at its best, Killer Klowns… is a 1988 horror film that follows a town as they are being invaded by aliens disguised as clowns. This film never deviates from its identity and is humorous and entertaining the entire way through. Killer Klowns from Outer Space has develop a cult following over the past 20+ years and rightfully so. Despite being a product of the 1980s and having a paltry 2 million dollar budget, the film has more camp in its story than it does in effects, and the costumes are actually quite terrifying, especially if you are afraid of clowns.
Good luck sleeping tonight
11. War of the Worlds (2005)
This version of the classic H.G. Wells story made the list because even if there is almost no depth to it, Stephen Spielberg sure knows how to make an exciting film. Sure, Tom Cruise is not convincing as a guy that works on the docks.
Hey guys, after we are done this back breaking work maybe we could head down to the local bar establishment and get some glasses of beer.
Ok, Dakota Fanning is annoying as hell and I would have been content to watch the aliens eviscerate her into an ashy mist, but man this movie looks cool. While normally excessive use of special effects means that something gets lost in the story, Spielberg still was able to make the story cohesive, even if it wasn’t anything spectacular.
10. Monsters (2010)
The alien invasion in Monsters is more of just a backdrop for the rest of the film. The aliens are barely seen on-screen and are nothing more than a device that drives the plot. This film focuses almost solely on its two main characters and their relationship as they travel through an infected zone in Mexico back to the United States. The success of this film is driven by the two lead actors and the chemistry they have as their on-screen relationship develops. A disappointment if you are expecting an epic invasion piece or a horror film as the title may suggest; but the cinematography and delivery of this film’s story is incredibly impressive considering the paltry budget that constrained it.
(If you want more on Monsters, check out the Weekend Film Recommendation from March 4, 2011.)
9. War of the Worlds (1953)
War of the Worlds banked a lot of its success off the popular trend of alien films in the 1950’s. What makes it better than the other films in that era is that it really tried to set itself apart from the others by breaking away from the stereotypes (i.e. saucer shaped UFOs and garishly clad aliens) to really bring a sinister new look to the alien invasion film.
Well...sinister for 1953.
The film, for as good as they could in 1953, really developed one of the first epic-scale productions of its time. Writer and Director, Barre Lyndon and Byron Haskin, took some creative liberties with the story, but they made sure they were good ones, which only added to the mystique of this famous story.
8. District 9 (2009)
While there is some debate as to whether this truly is an “alien invasion” film, you can make arguments on either side, but there are enough elements to include it in this list. Completed on a very modest budget, Neill Blomkamp burst onto the cinema industry with a sci-fi masterpiece. His special effects were superb for such a low-budget and gave the film a very real feel. Plus, as mentioned earlier, it used the sci-fi genre as a platform for a subversive message, just subtly enough that it didn’t get in the way of the story. Blomkamp also benefitted from a great performance by Sharlto Copley as the protagonist and all those elements combined to garner a Best Picture nomination in 2010.
7. Mars Attacks (1996)
One of the two pure comedy/satires on this list, taste dictates which of the two is more deserving of the higher ranking. Less popular and far less acclaimed (51% on Rotten Tomatoes as opposed to 91%), Mars Attacks is the sleeper of the two. Tim Burton’s most underappreciated work, probably because it doesn’t look at all like a Tim Burton movie, this film is laugh out loud funny all the way through. Aside from Tim Burton, Mars Attacks features an incredible ensemble cast featuring: Glenn Close, Annette Benning, Pierce Brosnan, Danny Devito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Tom Jones (yes that Tom Jones), Jim Brown (yes that Jim Brown), Natalie Portman, Pam Grier, Ray J (yes that Ray J), Christina Applegate, Lukas Haas, Jack Black, and Jack Nicholson.
And possibly an uncredited Johnny Depp
6. Men in Black (1997)
Men in Black parodied a lot of the films already mentioned in this list and featured the great comedic chemistry of loudmouth Will Smith and deadpan Tommy Lee Jones. The film was a box office and critical success, spawning a disastrous sequel and another sequel coming soon. What it lacks in suspense, it makes up for with witty one liners and delightful sight gags, and it still manages to pay homage to some of the sci-fi greats. The gadgets and special effects used were pretty cool as well and made for several toys that every kid wanted for Christmas.
5. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
The 1978 remake of the 1956 classic, this version updates the classic with more chilling suspense and a stellar cast. Donald Sutherland is the headliner here but there are plenty of other names and faces you might recognize including Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, Veronica Cartwright, and Robert Duvall in an uncredited role. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a chilling horror film about alien pods invading and taking over the human race creating drones devoid of emotion. Not only known for its horror and unforgettable closing sequence, …Body Snatchers provides both humor and satire giving the film added depth.
4. Independence Day (1996)
This has become the film that immediately comes to mind when someone thinks of an alien invasion film. Utter devastation, iconic and ominous imagery, cheesy one liners and speeches that will be parodied for years to come.
Bill Pullman, the most inspiring and reckless president of all time.
While by no means a “great” film, it encompasses all the elements people look for when they go to a summer blockbuster. Roland Emerich somehow knew how to make everything work and use static characters in a good way to create a film that is just plain fun.
3. Superman II (1980)
Superman II may seem out-of-place on this list, but it certainly is worthy of ranking #3 among the best alien invasion movies of all time. The follow-up to Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie, this film follows Clark Kent/Superman as he grapples with his immortality and falling in love for Lois Lane. Meanwhile, three Kryptonian villains led by General Zod (the alien invaders) escape from the Phantom Zone and come to Earth looking both to rule and to destroy Kal-El.
Featuring Christopher Reeve as Superman, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, and Terence Stamp as General Zod, Superman II is considered by many to be the best superhero movie ever made and the best film Richard Donner never made. The Richard Lester credited theatrical version is the easiest to find and is a good film, but Superman II really belongs to Richard Donner and Mario Puzo. If you can track down the Richard Donner cut released to DVD in 2006.
- The Superman movie Richard Lester actually directed
2. Predator (1987)
1. The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter is horror genius and this film is one of his best, and coincidentally tops the list of best alien invasion films. It does not accomplish this through devastating large cities or cool technology, it does it through disturbing make up and sheer cut-the-tension-with-a-knife paranoia. While this was not the original, but a remake, it certainly took the premise and ran with it. He combines the elements of sci-fi and horror so effectively that it leaves the viewer in awe. The ending, which I will not spoil, still leaves the audience left with the feeling of dread hanging over their heads and weighing heavy upon them. If you haven’t seen it is definitely worth a viewing…or two.
More than half of these movies are currently available on Netflix Instant (click on each title to add to your instant queue):
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