The Best First Contact Movies

Updated January 8, 2021 3.5k votes 700 voters 35.8k views59 items

List RulesMovies that show first contact with aliens only.

A list of the best first contact movies ever made, ranked by film fans' votes. This list is ordered by popularity, so only the greatest movies about first contact with aliens are at the top of the list. If there are any great films you think we missed, please feel free to add them yourself.

The films on this list are the most famous first contact movies of all time, so use it to find some movies that you haven't seen already if you're a fan of films about first contact with aliens.

This list answers the questions, "What are the best first contact movies?" and "What is the greatest first contact with aliens movie of all time?" and contains everything from The Day the Earth Stood Still to Solaris.

Various bits of information are included with these popular Hercules movies, such as who directed them, when they were released and who starred in the films. So whether you're watching these movies on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming, these are some good first contact movies to enjoy.

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Contact
Matthew McConaughey, Jodie Foster
Released: 1997
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. It is a... more
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Arrival
Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker
Released: November 11, 2016
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Arrival is a 2016 American science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by... more
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr
Released: 1977
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film, written and directed by... more
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Alien
Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt
Released: 1979
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott. The crew of the... 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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2001: A Space Odyssey
Arthur C. Clarke, Leonard Rossiter
Released: 1968
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley... more
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The Fourth Kind
Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas
Released: 2009
Directed by: Olatunde Osunsanmi
The Fourth Kind is a 2009 American science fiction-horror film directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi,... more
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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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District 9
Sharlto Copley, Jed Brophy
Released: 2009
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
District 9 is a 2009 science fiction film directed by Neill Blomkamp, released August 13,... more
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Drew Barrymore, Erika Eleniak
Released: 1982
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction-family film co-produced and... more
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Star Trek: First Contact
Patrick Stewart, James Cromwell
Released: 1996
Directed by: Jonathan Frakes
Star Trek: First Contact is a 1996 American science fiction film released by Paramount... 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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Predator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura
Released: 1987
Directed by: John McTiernan
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The Man Who Fell to Earth
David Bowie, Rip Torn
Released: 1976
Directed by: Nicolas Roeg
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a 1976 British science fiction film directed by Nicolas Roeg. The... more
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The Arrival
Charlie Sheen, Teri Polo
Released: 1996
Directed by: David Twohy
The Arrival is a 1996 science fiction film directed by David Twohy and starring Charlie Sheen,... more
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Super 8
Elle Fanning, AJ Michalka
Released: 2011
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Super 8 is a 2011 American science fiction horror film written, co-produced, and directed by... more
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2010
Helen Mirren, John Lithgow
Released: 1984
Directed by: Peter Hyams
2010 is a 1984 American science fiction film written and directed by Peter Hyams. It is a... more
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Cocoon
Steve Guttenberg, Clint Howard
Released: 1985
Directed by: Ron Howard
Cocoon is a 1985 science fiction film directed by Ron Howard about a group of elderly people... more
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The Day the Earth Stood Still
Jennifer Connelly, Keanu Reeves
Released: 2008
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 2008 American science fiction film, a remake of the 1951... more
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Mars Attacks!
Natalie Portman, Jack Nicholson
Released: 1996
Directed by: Tim Burton
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Communion
Christopher Walken, Andreas Katsulas
Released: 1989
Directed by: Philippe Mora
Communion is a 1989 drama/thriller film based on the book of the same name by Whitley... more
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Europa Report
Sharlto Copley, Embeth Davidtz
Released: 2013
Directed by: Sebastián Cordero
Europa Report is a 2013 science fiction film directed by Sebastián Cordero, and starring... more
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Ender's Game
Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley
Released: 2013
Directed by: Gavin Hood
Ender's Game is a 2013 American science fiction action film based on the novel of the same... more
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Alien 3
Sigourney Weaver, Charles Dance
Released: 1992
Directed by: David Fincher
Alien 3 is a 1992 American science-fiction horror film and the debut feature film of director... more
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Aliens
Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton
Released: 1986
Directed by: James Cameron
Aliens is a 1986 American science-fiction action horror film written and directed by James... more
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