The Best Alien Movies Ever Made
The best alien movies, ranked by fans of space and sci-fi genres. Famous alien related movies can take several forms. What are the best alien movies? Many films about extraterrestrials, alien themed abductions, or visitors from other planets turn them into traditional horror villains. These "alien war" movies tend to follow a simple pattern: 1) UFOs arrive on Earth, 2) a misunderstanding or outright evil intent sparks a war between aliens and humanity, 3) with massively destructive and terrifying results.
Whether the movies are funny, scary, or totally crazy, there are plenty of parallels to be found between them. Consider the similarities of Battle: LA, Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds, and even Tim Burton's genre parody, Mars Attacks. However, there are also films in which aliens are not an interstellar threat but a boon to humanity, or at least well-intentioned explorers like Arrival. E.T. is the classic example of the "friendly alien" genre – and the xenomorphs in the Alien franchise stay in outer space, so that's good for humans, too. E.T. is also one of the best alien kids movies ever made.
What are the best alien films of all time? Often in these films, the aliens are tragically misunderstood, and it's the primal nature of human beings that spark conflict. Finally, there are numerous films about aliens which attempt to "realistically" depict what might happen if humans and extraterrestrials interacted. These include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (another Spielberg film!), District 9, and even abduction films purportedly based on "true stories," such as Fire in the Sky. All-in-all this is far more than just a top 10 list of the best alien movies.
While this list does not include all alien movies ever made, it is a list of the best alien films. What do you think are the greatest alien movies of all time? Vote up the good alien movies you'd watch over and over, and vote down the ones that aren't worth your time. If you find you want more ideas then check out the best alien movies on Netflix, best action movies on Netflix, best movies on Netflix, the best Predator movies, and our list of scary movies on Netflix.
- 1Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter
- Released: 1982
- Directed by: John Carpenter
In remote Antarctica, a group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. When they take in the dog, it brutally attacks both human beings ...more - 2Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn
- Released: 1986
- Directed by: James Cameron
After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a nine year old girl ...more - 3Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura
- Released: 1987
- Directed by: John McTiernan
Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a soldier of fortune, is hired by the U.S. government to secretly rescue a group of politicians trapped in Guatemala. But when Dutch and his team, which includes ...more - 4Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt
- Released: 1979
- Directed by: Ridley Scott
In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The ...more - 5Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm
- Released: 1997
- Directed by: Luc Besson
In the 23rd century, a New York City cabbie, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), finds the fate of the world in his hands when Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) falls into his cab. As the embodiment of the fifth ...more - 6Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn
- Released: 1989
- Directed by: James Cameron
Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are formerly married petroleum engineers who still have some issues to work out. They are drafted to assist a gung-ho Navy SEAL (Michael Biehn) with a ...more - 7Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
- Released: 1980
- Directed by: Irvin Kershner
The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial ...more - 8Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Doug Liman
When Earth falls under attack from invincible aliens, no military unit in the world is able to beat them. Maj. William Cage (Tom Cruise), an officer who has never seen combat, is assigned to a ...more - 9Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Christopher Nolan
In Earth's future, a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl are slowly rendering the planet uninhabitable. Professor Brand (Michael Caine), a brilliant NASA physicist, is working on plans to save ...more - 10Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: James Gunn
Brash space adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the quarry of relentless bounty hunters after he steals an orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain. To evade Ronan, Quill is forced ...more - 11Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James
- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Thirty years ago, aliens arrive on Earth -- not to conquer or give aid, but -- to find refuge from their dying planet. Separated from humans in a South African area called District 9, the aliens are ...more - 12Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr
- Released: 1977
- Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Science fiction adventure about a group of people who attempt to contact alien intelligence. Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) witnesses an unidentified flying object, and even has a "sunburn" from its ...more - 13Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
- Released: 1977
- Directed by: George Lucas
The Imperial Forces -- under orders from cruel Darth Vader (David Prowse) -- hold Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) hostage, in their efforts to quell the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Luke ...more - 14Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson
- Released: 1994
- Directed by: Roland Emmerich
In modern-day Egypt, professor Daniel Jackson (James Spader) teams up with retired Army Col. Jack O'Neil (Kurt Russell) to unlock the code of an interstellar gateway to an ancient Egypt-like world. ...more - 15Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino
- Released: 1997
- Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
They are the best-kept secret in the universe. Working for a highly funded yet unofficial government agency, Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) and Jay (Will Smith) are the Men in Black, providers of immigration ...more - 16Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum
- Released: 1996
- Directed by: Roland Emmerich
In the epic adventure film "Independence Day," strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it ...more - 17Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
- Released: 1983
- Directed by: Richard Marquand
Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) battles horrible Jabba the Hut and cruel Darth Vader to save his comrades in the Rebel Alliance and triumph over the Galactic Empire. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and ...more - 18Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards
- Released: 1997
- Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
In the distant future, the Earth is at war with a race of giant alien insects. Little is known about the Bugs except that they are intent on the eradication of all human life. But there was a time ...more - 19Radha Mitchell, Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser
- Released: 2000
- Directed by: David Twohy
When their ship crashes on an unexplored planet, the survivors of the crash soon discover that this planet that is normally always day is going to soon be in a state of eclipse that will bring out ...more - 20Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone
- Released: 1990
- Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars. He visits "Rekall," a company that plants false memories into people's ...more - 21Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
- Released: 2016
- Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Check out more shows and movies like Arrival!
Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, ...more - 22Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
- Released: 2009
- Directed by: James Cameron
On the lush alien world of Pandora live the Na'vi, beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved. Because the planet's environment is poisonous, human/Na'vi hybrids, called Avatars, must link to ...more - 23Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Cherry Jones
- Released: 2002
- Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Everything that farmer Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) assumed about the world is changed when he discovers a message - an intricate pattern of circles and lines - carved into his crops. As he investigates ...more - 24Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
- Released: 2012
- Directed by: Ridley Scott
The discovery of a clue to mankind's origins on Earth leads a team of explorers to the darkest parts of the universe. Two brilliant young scientists lead the expedition. Shaw (Noomi Rapace) hopes ...more - 25Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
- Released: 1968
- Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
An imposing black structure provides a connection between the past and the future in this enigmatic adaptation of a short story by revered sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke. When Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir ...more
