Best Alien Movies
What extraterrestrial beings brought the film together, had the most imagination behind it, and are still favored today?
List activity
626 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
15 titles
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSigourney WeaverTom SkerrittJohn HurtThe crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.One of the first films that setup the formula for scifi horror. Any film lover worth their salt knows or should see this. The fear of being isolated with a murderous alien in the depths of space bring a nostalgic chill to one's spine.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith DavidA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.Similar to the isolation and paranoia like most alien movies before it, it seemingly takes it to a new level with most of the people turning upon one another and the practical effects of the creature are still impressive even by today's standards.
- DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsJames DonaldAndrew KeirBarbara ShelleyA mysterious artifact is unearthed in London, and famous scientist Bernard Quatermass is called in to divine its origins and explain its strange effects on people.One of the more thought provoking concepts, that will be later copy-pasted in Mission to Mars, this British horror-scifi takes a stab at combining the supernatural, the philosophical, and some Darwinism in a pretty successful execution.
- DirectorPhilip KaufmanStarsDonald SutherlandBrooke AdamsJeff GoldblumWhen strange seeds drift to earth from space, mysterious pods begin to grow and invade San Francisco, replicating the city's residents one body at a time.One of the more decent remakes in film history, the paranoia and distress of the ever closing window of people you can trust puts you on edge.
- DirectorHarry Bromley DavenportStarsPhilip SayerBernice StegersDanny BraininAn alien creature impregnates a woman who gives birth to a man who was abducted by aliens three years ago. The man reconnects with his wife and son for a sinister purpose.Don't let the box art fool you should you find the original VHS, there is some creative thought behind this. The design of the alien and its powers are genuinely creepy and disturbing. Though it may not of had as strong a following as Ridley Scott's work, it's still a film worth watching.
- DirectorBarry SonnenfeldStarsTommy Lee JonesWill SmithLinda FiorentinoJames, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.Back when CGI was still learning to walk upright, this film provided an array of strange aliens and interesting concepts of everyday life, as if it were true in a comedic sense. The main alien might not be complex but it does have character. He even has the best come-back for one of Charlton Heston's memorable lines.
- DirectorChristian NybyHoward HawksStarsKenneth TobeyMargaret SheridanJames ArnessScientists and American Air Force officials fend off a bloodthirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.While not as fear provoking as its predecessor The Thing and barely follows the story it was based upon, it is still film better written, acted, and executed that most during its time. It even closes on one of the most memorable quotes of any UFO movie.
- DirectorJack ArnoldStarsRichard CarlsonBarbara RushCharles DrakeA spaceship from another world crashes in the Arizona desert and only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strangely.Mostly themed around the concept of discrimination based upon looks and paranoia from uncertainty, this film is still a classic with all the charm the 1950's could provide, theremin music and all.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsGene BarryAnn RobinsonLes TremayneA small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion.H.G. Wells' novel hits the silver screen! Though the morals might be a little heavy handed to some, it is still a timeless classic.
- DirectorStephen HopkinsStarsDanny GloverGary BuseyKevin Peter HallThe Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.Not as "action-packed" as its prequel but has some grit, complexity, and some interesting characters. The fact that there is no mud is sight is also a plus.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerCarl WeathersKevin Peter HallA team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.One of Arnold's best action films, it setup a cult following of the universe's more deadly hunters, provided that their prey never gets the idea to cover themselves in mud.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHenry ThomasDrew BarrymorePeter CoyoteA troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.Able to warm the heart of the grumpiest of film goers, this boy-and-his-alien movie is always fun to watch, provided there are no walkie-talkies in sight.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsWill SmithBill PullmanJeff GoldblumThe aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive.So stereotypical and cliched you'd think it was directed by Michael Bay, but thanks to Will Smith it somehow becomes an enjoyable popcorn movie.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsVictor AndréBleuette BernonA group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.The basis of anything scifi in following decades. Though a bit archaic to most it is not without its merits.
- DirectorStephen HerekStarsDee WallaceM. Emmet WalshBilly Green BushA group of small but vicious alien creatures called Crites escape from an alien prison transport vessel and land near a small farm town on earth, pursued by two shape-shifting bounty hunters.A B-movie on par with Evil Dead with its comedy, Critters is a must see as an example a film on the fence of critique.