Aliens have long been a popular subject for movies, television, and even radio. And in this vein, alien invasion movies have long captured the public consciousness.
These types of movies have taken on a myriad of different approaches. Some are just outright invasion movies wherein the aliens come to Earth and blow everything up. Some portray aliens as more sympathetic and intelligent creatures, willing to work with humans. And some portray aliens as an invasive species who take a more subtle and clandestine approach. Each approach is equally fascinating, and luckily for us all, there have been many fantastic alien invasion movies throughout the years.
The World's End (2013) - 7.0
The best science fiction movies often utilize the genre trappings to comment on universal human truths and The World's End, while a comedy, is no different. It's the third and final entry in Edgar Wright's Cornetto trilogy, and it concerns aliens taking over the residents of a small English town.
It mainly serves to spoof classic alien takeover movies, like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but it's also meant to illustrate the disconnected feelings one often gets when returning to their home towns as adults. No one remembers you ... almost as if they've been taken over by aliens who wiped their memories.
Independence Day (1996) - 7.0
Independence Day is arguably the most outwardly boisterous and unashamedly silly film on this list. The story concerns a violent alien invasion and the disparate group of people who come together to battle them on Independence Day.
It's a Roland Emmerich film in every sense of the word, complete with some gorgeous scenes of destruction (such as when the aliens destroy the White House). As silly as it is, the incredible cast, intriguing story, and excellent action sequences helped make Independence Day an undeniable classic.
They Live (1988) - 7.3
Like The World's End, They Live is also concerned with using an alien invasion story to comment on something larger. In this one, it's discovered that aliens have taken over the world's ruling class and brainwashed citizens through mass media.
This is one of John Carpenter's more underappreciated movies, making a measly $13 million back in 1988. However, its status has risen in recent years and is now regarded as a cult classic. The six-minute fight sequence between Roddy Piper and Keith David has earned particular acclaim, with many considering it one of the best fight sequences in movie history.
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977) - 7.6
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a different sort of alien invasion movie. While aliens do invade Earth with traditional UFOs and abduct people, they do so without any meaningful harm to the human race. In fact, the humans respond not by launching an attack, but by learning how to communicate with the extraterrestrials.
It's actually a very touching and humane story, and it serves as a wonderful counterpart to the more traditional violent and explosive alien invasion movies, further illustrating that anything Steven Spielberg touches is pure gold.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956) - 7.7
While most people remember the 1978 version of this film, thanks to its cast and famous twist ending, the 1956 original is actually ranked a little higher on IMDb, at 7.7 (compared to the 1978 remake's 7.4).
The story is based on Jack Finney's novel The Body Snatchers and was originally released as a double feature alongside The Atomic Man. While the movie was largely ignored upon its original release, it is now regarded as one of the best horror movies ever made. It also gave rise to the term "pod people," a colloquial term that is still being used to this day.
Predator (1987) - 7.8
Predator is a wonderful combination of alien invasion movie, commentary on jungle guerrilla warfare, and the super-macho action films of the 80s.
In many ways, it is not a traditional alien invasion movie, as most of its runtime is devoted to humans being tracked down by a violent entity in the jungle. There's also only one "alien," which helps distinguish Predator from the other movies on this list. It's unquestionably a classic, helped in large part by the charismatic cast (led by Arnold Schwarzenegger), unique setting, and Stan Winston's typically amazing creature effects.
District 9 (2009) - 7.9
District 9 served as an unbelievable directorial debut from Neill Blomkamp, who has gone on to direct both Elysium and Chappie. Fans and critics alike hailed District 9 as not only one of the best directorial debuts in movie history, but one of the best science fiction films ever made.
It concerns an alien spacecraft that randomly appears over Johannesburg and the resulting treatment that the aliens receive at the hands of the South African government. The film draws on obvious themes of xenophobia, and many people see it as a sci-fi-themed allegory for apartheid.
Edge Of Tomorrow (2014) - 7.9
Also going by the name Live Die Repeat, Edge of Tomorrow seemingly came out nowhere. Serving as a unique combination of alien invasion movie and Groundhog Day, the story concerns a PR officer who is drafted to fight against the aliens in an invasion of France. Every time he dies in battle, his life restarts at the beginning of the invasion.
The movie was widely lauded for its performances, its surprising amount of humor, and the clever writing that utilized its time-warp premise to the best of its potential.
The Avengers (2012) - 8.0
The Avengers is a historic movie - one that wonderfully met its exceedingly wild expectations and launched the wider MCU into a profitable future. The movie combined numerous popular heroes - including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye - and had them fight off an alien invasion instigated by Loki.
It was obviously an enormous success, grossing $1.5 billion and earning strong praise for its acting, writing, imaginative story, and spectacular visual effects.
The Thing (1982) - 8.1
According to IMDb, it doesn't get much better than John Carpenter's The Thing. This classic horror movie concerns an unseen alien entity that can "mimic" anyone it takes over and assimilates. It attacks a scientific base in Antarctica, leading everyone inside to grow incredibly paranoid and violent.
Like They Live, The Thing was not well regarded when released in 1982, and it even earned a Razzie nomination for Worst Score. Modern appraisal is obviously much different, and The Thing is now rightfully regarded as one of the finest (and grossest) horror movies ever made.