Alien invasion movieshave been immensely popular since their first appearances in the ’40s and ’50s. The Roswell incident of 1947, where a mysterious UFO crash-landed in the New Mexico desert, definitely sparked the public’s interest in science fiction. Pop culture fans around the world have been obsessed with aliens ever since. FromE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialtoSigns, there have been some amazing alien movies produced in the last eight decades.
In 1956,Invasion of the Body Snatcherswas released, and it’s still widely considered to be one of the first alien movies to break through to the mainstream. The film was shot in less than one month on a production budget of less than half a million dollars. In those days, that was a lot of money. Fast-forward to modern times and film studios can’t seem to produce alien movies fast enough. Some of them have been pretty crazy, and it’s fun to take a deeper dive into them.
10Mars Attacks!
It’s hard to think of a more bonkers alien movie thanMars Attacks!The film revolves around a group of aliens who visit Earth, claiming to “come in peace.” The president of the USA tries to test out that claim by sending an entourage to greet them, but it of course goes awry, and it’s revealed that the aliens are here to take over the planet. One even dresses up like an attractive blonde to seduce her victim before ousting him.
Mars Attacks!is a dark comedy that relies on political satire and shock value to get laughs. One of the aliens pretends to be an attractive blonde woman, then promptly kills the man she seduces. With an insane cast that features Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan, Pam Grier, and Martin Short (to name a few), the movie is a blast from the past worth revisiting.
Megamindis another movie where the alien villain is completely over-the-top. Voiced by Will Ferrell, the titular character is an alien who arrived at planet Earth as a baby but is adamant on taking over the world. In typical Ferrell fashion, he’s full of goofy jokes, repeatable one-liners, and ridiculous physical comedy.
Fortunately for the good guys, Metro Man (Brad Pitt) is there to stop Megamind in his tracks and try to save the day. The film is filled with witty banter between the two characters. Ferrell and Pitt have different acting styles but their chemistry inMegamindis magical.Megamindis not just a kids' movie. It moves at a frantic pace that keeps viewers' attention until the end.
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8A Quiet Place
Even thoughA Quiet Placewas branded as a horror movie when it came out in 2018, it’s actually an alien movie at its core. Directed by and starringThe Officealum John Krasinski, the movie is centered around a family who must stay quiet to avoid being hunted by a deadly predator. Even a wrong step or a peep could trigger the creature, who stalks the family day and night.
A Quiet Placedoesn’t contain alot of jump scares or action-packed scenes, but it holds true to the phrase “silence is golden.” The impact of the movie is magnified by its tense scenes and sporadic action. Krasinki and his real-life wife Emily Blunt do a great job of giving their characters alot of depth without a lot of dialogue. The film’s sequelA Quiet Place: Part IIhas the distinction of being thefirst post-pandemic movie to make $100 million at the box office.
7Attack the Block
Many people knowAttack the Blockas the movie that broke John Boyega’s career in the United States. In the movie, the futureStar Warsactor stars as a teenager in a street gang who’s suddenly challenged with fending off alien invaders. The film was co-produced by British production company Big Talk Pictures, known for it’s success with comedy films likeShaun of the DeadandHot Fuzz.
Attack the Blockuses editing and music incredibly effectively, crafting a fast-paced with droll British comedy mixed in. The most bonkers thing in the film is the aliens, who look like fuzzy monsters with huge teeth but no eyes. Attack the Block is a fan-favorite, with score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Who knew Mel Gibson could play such a complex character as he does in M. Night Shyamaylan’sSigns? Gibson plays former priest Graham Hess in this alien invasion movie from 2022. When mysterious crop circles appear in Graham’s field, he’s left to decipher the messages and protect his family from what could be a threat from outer space.
While his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) goes down the rabbit hole and believes the world is ending, Graham must deal with the grief left from losing his wife to get his head straight and save the day. He wonders if the crop circles are sign from God or just figments of his imagination. In any case,Signsis a movie that creeped out audiences without resorting to cheap scares.
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5The Tomorrow War
When time travelers appear out of nowhere to tell people about an upcoming alien invasion, family man Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) is drafted to fight. In the year 2051, aliens invade Earth, but they can be stopped if humans act immediately and try to stop them. Although Dan is battling his own personal issues, he joins the fight and leads the charge against the alien invaders.
The Tomorrow Warhas a great premise and strong characters. The idea of people going back in time to save the world is not new, but introducing aliens into the mix makes it feel fresh. The movie’s ending is powerful and holds a great message about not letting the past determine the future.
4The Thing
When people think of cheesy ’80s horror movies,The Thingoften comes to mind. Kurt Russell stars as a helicopter pilot working at a remote base in Antarctica. When a peculiar being shoots a dog, the dog forms the ability to shape-shift into different beings. The dog attacks the team and the survivors must figure out what the creature is and where it came from.
The Thingis a corny alien invasion movie with crazy special effects reminiscent of the ’80s. The bonkers thing about The Thing is that its original special effects budget was $200,000, but figure ballooned to over $1.5 million during production, the most that had been spent on effects for any movie up until that time. It may be a cult classic, butThe Thingis not one of thebest Kurt Russell action movies.
3The World’s End
The World’s Endis a comedy/science fiction movie starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who previously made names for themselves in hilarious comedic action movies likeShaun of the DeadandHot Fuzz. Directed by Edgar Wright,The World’s Endis about a group of friends who travel back to their hometown to go on a drinking binge but soon discover that their town is under attack from an alien species.
Much likeHot Fuzz,The World’s Endis full of quick edits and fast-paced dialogue. Many of jokes are missed the first time around, which makes it endlessly re-watchable. Things get crazy when the audience is introduced to The Network, an alien who wants to replace the group of childhood friends with blank versions of themselves.
2Independence Day
Roland Emmerich’sIndependence Daywas a massive hit when it came out in 1996. When a giant spaceship enters the Earth’s atmosphere and launches saucers across the USA, Marine Captain Steve Hiller (Will Smith) is deployed to save Los Angeles from the invasion. Acting with military allies across the country, Hiller must outsmart the aliens and use his piloting skills to lure them into the Grand Canyon.
The special effects inIndependence Dayare bonkers and were revolutionary at the time the film was released. In one particular scene, the saucers blast laser beams directly below, destroying the cities they are attempting to take over. Everything about the movie is massive in scale, including its box office gross of over $800 million against a modest $75 million budget.
1Men in Black
Another one of Will Smith’s sci-fi movies is possibly the most bonkers alien movie ever made. InMen in Black, Smith stars with Tommy Lee Jones as the agents of the elusive MIB (Men in Black). The MIB is a secret organization that tracks alien activity on Earth and neutralizes threats when they arise. Using lasers, the agents wipe out the memories of any civilians that may have witnessed alien encounters.
Men in Blackdelights in funny banter between Smith and Jones, epic action sequences, and hilarious physical comedy. The aliens come in all shapes and sizes which makes for great sight gags throughout the film. Will Smith also made a rap song for the movie called “Men In Black”, which helped give the film credibility. Both the song and the movie were hugely popular when they were released in 1997.
