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The Best Alien Invasion Movies

Updated January 6, 2021 9.3k votes 1.1k voters 51.3k views70 items

List RulesOnly movies that involve alien invasions.

A list of the best alien invasion movies ever made, ranked by movie fans with film trailers when available. This alien invasion movie list is ordered by popularity, so only the greatest movies about alien invasion are at the top of the list. If there are any great movies about alien invasion you believe we missed, please feel free to add them to the list yourself. The films on this list are the most famous alien invasion movies of all time, so use it to find some movies that you haven't seen already. Click on these alien invasion movie titles for more information about the films.

The list you're viewing is made up of many different items, like The Abyss and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

This list answers the questions, "What are the best alien invasion movies?" and "What is the greatest alien invasion movie of all time?"

Various bits of information are included with these popular alien invasion movies, such as who directed them, when they were released and who starred in the films. Whether you're watching these alien invasion movies on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming, these good alien invasion movies can be enjoyed no matter what.

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Independence Day
Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum
Released: 1996
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Independence Day is a 1996 American science fiction disaster film co-written and directed by... more
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The Thing
Kurt Russell, Keith David
Released: 1982
Directed by: John Carpenter
The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written... more
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The Day the Earth Stood Still
Patricia Neal, Michael Rennie
Released: 1951
Directed by: Robert Wise
The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 1951 American black-and-white science fiction film from... more
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Signs
Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix
Released: 2002
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Signs is a 2002 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by M. Night... more
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War of the Worlds
Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman
Released: 2005
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
War of the Worlds is a 2005 American epic science fiction disaster film and a loose adaptation... more
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Robert Duvall, Jeff Goldblum
Released: 1978
Directed by: Philip Kaufman
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a 1978 science fiction thriller directed by Philip Kaufman,... more
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They Live
Roddy Piper, Keith David
Released: 1988
Directed by: John Carpenter
They Live is a 1988 American science fiction film written and directed by John Carpenter. The... more
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Mars Attacks!
Natalie Portman, Jack Nicholson
Released: 1996
Directed by: Tim Burton
Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American comic science fiction film directed by Tim Burton. Earth is... more
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The Abyss
Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Released: 1989
Directed by: James Cameron
The Abyss is a 1989 American science fiction-adventure film written and directed by James... more
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The Avengers
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans
Released: 2012
Directed by: Joss Whedon
Marvel's The Avengers is a 2012 American superhero film directed by Joss Whedon, based on the... more
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Men in Black
Will Smith, Sylvester Stallone
Released: 1997
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Men in Black is a 1997 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry... more
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Dana Wynter, Sam Peckinpah
Released: 1956
Directed by: Don Siegel
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a 1956 American black-and-white science fiction film... more
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The Arrival
Charlie Sheen, Teri Polo
Released: 1996
Directed by: David Twohy
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Thor
Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman
Released: 2011
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Thor is a 2011 American superhero film directed by Kenneth Branagh, based on the Marvel Comics... more
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The Faculty
Salma Hayek, Usher
Released: 1998
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
The Faculty is a 1998 science fiction horror film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by... more
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Edge of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
Released: 2014
Directed by: Doug Liman
Edge of Tomorrow is a 2014 American military science fiction thriller film directed by Doug... more
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Alien Nation
James Caan, Terence Stamp
Released: 1988
Directed by: Graham Baker
Alien Nation is a 1988 American science fiction action film directed by Graham Baker. The... more
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H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds
justin Chatwin, Gene Barry
Released: 1953
This film is a 1953 American Technicolor science fiction film from Paramount Pictures,... more
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Transformers
Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf
Released: 2007
Directed by: Michael Bay
Transformers is a 2007 American science fiction action film directed by Michael Bay, based on... more
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Superman II
Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve
Released: 1980
Directed by: Richard Lester, Richard Donner
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Battleship
Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker
Released: 2012
Directed by: Peter Berg
Battleship is a 2012 American military science fiction action film loosely inspired by the... more
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Man of Steel
Henry Cavill, Amy Adams
Released: 2013
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder, based on the DC Comics... more
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The Thing from Another World
James Arness, Paul Frees
Released: 1951
Directed by: Howard Hawks, Christian Nyby
The Thing from Another World is a 1951 American black-and-white science fiction/horror film... more
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The Blob
Erika Eleniak, Shawnee Smith
Released: 1988
Directed by: Chuck Russell
The Blob is a 1988 monster horror film written by Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont, and... more
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The Andromeda Strain
Paula Kelly, David Wayne
Released: 1971
Directed by: Robert Wise
The Andromeda Strain is a 1971 American science fiction film produced and directed by Robert... more
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