In this article, we have examined Best Movies about Aliens and Extraterrestrial Life.
The aliens are attacking! The traditional film genre of the alien and extraterrestrial movies can be traced back to the popular novel "War of the Worlds" by H. G. Wells, which appeared in 1898. The book has been filmed several times since then. In 1938, the legendary master director Orson Welles turned it into a new type of radio play, which - so the story goes - caused unrest among audiences in the New York area when it was broadcast. Many listeners thought the fictional radio play was a live report and the alien attack was real. Extraterrestrial life forms have their own fascination in films. They range from heartwarming creatures like E.T. to creepy horror characters like the Predator. All of them have become an indispensable part of this world.
Since then, a diverse genre of films has evolved around the assumption that hostile aliens land on our planet. We differentiate here between alien and extraterrestrial films in the narrower sense and alien monster films, in which there is only isolated contact with hostile life forms from the depths of space. Here we continue with our favorite alien and extraterrestrial films when it comes to a large-scale or planned conquest of planet earth by aliens:
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951/2008)
As early as 1951, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was a fascinating science fiction film. The black and white genre classic was remade in 2008 under the direction of Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange) and starring Keanu Reeves: An alien spaceship lands on earth. The overpowering robot GoRT accompanies the human-looking emissary of the aliens named Klaatu (Reeves). The aliens see the self-destructive character of humanity as a threat and call for improvement. But Klaatu is mistakenly injured and GoRT begins with the extinction of humanity.
The Faculty (1998)
It is a movie about Aliens vs. High School Teens. A group of students at Herrington High School somewhere in Ohio discovers a worm-like creature. Soon after their teachers noticed strange behavior, it turns out that alien parasites have literally taken root in the teaching body. Next up are the students. Iconic high school alien thriller starring Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Salma Hayek and Famke Janssen.
They Live (1988)
"They Live", as the original title is, by horror cult director John Carpenter is considered by many to be a cult movie. The unemployed John Nada, portrayed relatively talentless by wrestler Roddy Piper, uncovered a gigantic alien conspiracy. He finds a box of sunglasses with which he can suddenly see aliens and secret messages everywhere. Apparently the aliens have long since taken over the police and the establishment. Humanity is being manipulated, exploited and oppressed. Resistance is the order of the day. We think the film is overrated, but the movie has what it takes to become the favorite film of all confused conspiracy theorists.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers", the original title of the novel by Jack Finney and the film by director Philip Kaufman, is a cult sci-fi horror film and the best there is when it comes to hostile takeover of the human body. The novel was first filmed in 1956 then ‘’Body Snatchers" in 1993) and Invasion in 2007 . They are also based on the same novel. But no film adaptation is as oppressive as the Kaufman film with Donald Sutherland and Veronica Cartwright in the lead roles: An alien microorganism attacks people while they sleep and produces a perfect clone overnight in a kind of cocoon. One person after another is exchanged secretly and creepingly. One of the Best Movies about Aliens and Extraterrestrial Life
E.T (1982)
What kind of supernova was that the cuddly alien E.T. fired on earth - first in the movie theaters, then in the hearts of the people, then in the merchandise machinery? But ET, which by the way stands for nothing more than extra-terrestrial, was really a cute thing: visually it was a mixture of poet Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein and a pug, acoustically it was staged by the sounds of raccoons, sea otters and a chain smoker. How could you not love this cute thing? Especially since its heart is undoubtedly in the right place. For this, he and his director Steven Spielberg were rewarded with various Oscars and record sales at the box office.
Signs (2002)
In this movie an alien invasion takes place in a mysterious manner: the former priest Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) lives with his children on the farm of his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix). One day when they find mysterious crop circles in their fields, strange events pile up. Similar crop circles are sighted around the world. It soon turns out that an alien invasion is underway. The struggle for the survival of his family turns into a spiritual journey for Graham, who lost faith in God after the death of his wife. This movie is really worth watching.
Extinction (2018)
In this almost mystical sci-fi thriller, which is reminiscent of masterpieces such as "2001 - A Space Odyssey" and "Alien", a zone cut off from the outside world was created after a meteorite hit the swamps of Florida. The zone is slowly expanding. It threatens to hit the first cities soon. All containment measures have failed. Except for the husband of molecular biologist Lena (Natalie Portman), no one who entered the zone has ever returned. But even the elite soldier is now dying. To save him, Lena takes part in another expedition into the mysterious zone. This is a great movie about Aliens and Extraterrestrial Life
Independence Day (1996)
With "Independence Day" Roland Emmerich delivered the mother of all alien invasion films. The film is undoubtedly inspired by "War of the Worlds", but never before has the alien invasion been so spectacularly staged as by Emmerich. The gigantic spaceships of the aliens darken the sky and level all capitals to the ground - starting with the White House in Washington DC. A global counter-attack takes place on US Independence Day. Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum save the day.
In the sequel "Independence Day: Resurgence " (2016), also staged by Emmerich, Will Smith is unfortunately no longer there. The sequel may not be as iconic as the original, but it is definitely worth watching.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
"Edge of Tomorrow" comes out when you mix "Independence Day" with "Groundhog Day": invincible aliens controlled by a hive-mind, a kind of common consciousness, overrun the earth. It does not look good for humanity. In Europe, the world's allied forces are gathering their troops for a major counter-offensive. The day before, soldier William Cage (Tom Cruise) is demoted for insubordination and sent to the front. There he falls the day before the great battle. But whenever he dies, he wakes up in the morning of the same day and goes back to fight the insect-like aliens. This movie will really blow your mind.
Monsters (2010)
Huge alien creatures have spread across northern Mexico since a NASA probe crashed. In infected zones, the aliens are isolated as much as possible. The photographer Andrew (Scoot McNairy) is supposed to bring Samantha (Whitney Able), the daughter of his client, back to the USA from Mexico. But on the eve of their trip, their passports and money are stolen. All that remains is the way back through the dangerous zone. Director Gareth Edwards guides you through the creeping invasion of the aliens like a travel documentary. This mix of monster film and alien invasion is the unspectacular counter-model to "Independence Day".
Avatar (2009)
The year 2154. The earth's resources are exhausted. Civilization has to move to other planets in order to survive. Mankind will find what they are looking for on Pandora, the lush habitat of the Na'vis indigenous people. Above all, the warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) not only fights her way bravely through the exploitative armies of the human military, but also into the hearts of the audience, which subsequently makes Avatar the most successful film of all time. In any case, since the Smurfs, no blue creatures have had such an impact on pop culture as Neytiri and her Na'vis counterparts.
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