The Films About Alien Invasions subgenre lives within the Horror, Sci-Fi and Thriller genres and also features other film subgenres such as Films With Bad Aliens, Conspiracy Thrillers, Psychological & Medical Horror Films, Sci-Fi Military Films, Apocalypse Films and Horror Films About Monsters.
After World War II and at the beginning of the Cold War, Alien Invasion films started to gain in popularity. Most of these films used Cold War themes such as “Communism and conformity” invading the ideals of “Democracy and individualism”. This specific metaphor was popular in two classic films of the subgenre with The Thing from Another World (1951) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1953). The 1950’s also featured two other classic subgenre films with The War of the Worlds (1953) and The Blob (1958). This decade also saw the “worst film ever made” that has achieved cult classic status in Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959).
It wasn’t until the 1970’s, that Films About Alien Invasions regained their popularity with a few classics of the subgenre including The Andromeda Strain (1971), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and Phantasm (1979). Other notable films of this decade included The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) and Laserblast (1978). While both of these films are horrible, Laserblast is a cult-classic film that came on the heels of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and has a special place in the hearts of every Gen X kid that grew up in the 70’s.
The 1980’s started a Golden Age of Alien Invasion films as this subgenre featured classic films of the subgenre as well as more Horror and Action-themed Alien Invasions. Some of the more Horror-based films featuring Alien Invasions included The Thing (1982), The Stuff (1985), Lifeforce (1985), Night of the Creeps (1986) and The Hidden (1987). Action-orientated Sci-Fi also became a staple of Alien Invasion films with Superman II (1980), Krull (1983), The Last Starfighter (1984), The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), Critters (1986), Predator (1987) and They Live (1988). All these films are classics of the subgenre and there were a few other notable subgenre films of the decade including The Deadly Spawn (1983), Invaders from Mars (1986), Bad Taste (1987), Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988), The Blob (1988) and Alien Nation (1988).
The 1990’s saw a continuation of the Golden Age of Alien Invasion films with an emphasis on Bad Aliens and Monsters. I Come In Peace / Dark Angel (1990), The Tommyknockers (1993), Body Snatchers (1993), The Puppet Masters (1994), Species (1995), The Arrival (1996), Independence Day (1996), Mars Attacks! (1996), Men in Black (1997) and Starship Troopers (1997) all were classic films of the subgenre that all featured aliens invading Earth with malicious intent. Other notable subgenre films of this decade included Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), Stargate (1994), Village of the Damned (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Star Kid (1997) and The Faculty (1998).
In the 2000’s, the Alien Invasion subgenre diverged into other genres like Comedies and subgenres with Good Aliens or Aliens sympathetic to humans. Alien Invasion comedy films of this decade included What Planet Are You From? (2000), Evolution (2001), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Slither (2006) and Alien Trespass (2009). Alien Invasion films featuring Good Aliens or aliens assisting humans against an evil alien or force included The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Transformers (2007), Outlander (2008), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) and District 9 (2009). Other classic films of the subgenre include Ghosts of Mars (2001), Impostor (2001), Signs (2002), War of the Worlds (2005), Grindhouse (2007), The Invasion (2007) and Cloverfield (2008).
The 2010’s saw a Second Golden Age of Alien Invasion Films emerge driven primarily by Comic Book & Superhero Films and Military Sci-Fi Films. As DC Comics and Marvel Comics films became more popular, so too did their themes of Superheroes protecting humanity against an Alien Invasion. Thor (2011), Green Lantern (2011), The Avengers (2012), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Justice League (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) all featured variations of Alien Invasions as their primary narrative. Military Sci-Films also grew in popularity with Battle: Los Angeles (2011), Battleship (2012), Oblivion (2013), Pacific Rim (2013), Ender’s Game (2013), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), Rakka (2017) and Beyond Skyline (2017). This decade also produced many other classic films of the subgenre with Monsters (2010), Attack the Block (2011), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), The Thing (2011), Man of Steel (2013), The World’s End (2013), Freaks of Nature (2015), 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), Arrival (2016), Annihilation (2019), A Quiet Place (2018), Brightburn (2019) and Color Out of Space (2019).
The 2020’s has only produced one classic film of the subgenre to date – A Quiet Place Part II (2020) – but there have also been a few notable films including Save Yourselves! (2020) and Skylines (2020).
Our list of Films About Alien Invasions includes over 186+ films from 1951 – 2021. This list of films covers many subgenres that involve Alien Invasions including Films About Good Aliens, Films About Bad Aliens, Sci-fi Military Films, Apocalypse Films, Horror Films About Monsters and even Conspiracy Thrillers. For our list of Top Films About Alien Invasions You Haven’t Seen Yet, we had to leave the following honorable mentions off the list (some of which are the best of the subgenre and we are assuming you have already seen): Phantasm (1979), The Hidden (1987), Dark Angel / I Come in Peace (1990), They Live (1988), Wild Zero (1999), Slither (2006), Mutant Chronicles (2008), Attack the Block (2011), Extraterrestrial (2012), Parasyte: Part 1 (2014), Before We Vanish (2017) and Assimilate (2019).
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Films About Alien Invasions You Haven’t Seen and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
#10
Rakka
Plot: Humans fight back against a technologically superior alien species.
KBZ’s Take: A short film written and directed by Neil Blomkamp (District 9 (2017)), it was released on YouTube in 2017. It’s an impressive Sci-fi Military Film and showcases Blomkamp’s eye for action-orientated Humans vs. Aliens battles. If you enjoyed District 9, you will also enjoy this film as it has similar action and special effects. It also includes an impressive cast with Sigourney Weaver in the lead role. You can still watch on YouTube via Oats Studios here.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjQ2t_yNHQs
Plot: A family awakens on Christmas morning to discover they’re sealed inside their house and their TV has one message, “Stay Indoors and Await Further Instructions”.
KBZ’s Take: This film has a clear divide between people that loved it or hated it. While it’s not action-orientated in any way, it’s more of a cerebral take on an Alien Invasion and our blind trust in media. While the acting is uneven between different characters, this low budget film has surprisingly good production values, atmosphere and film score. This is the type of film where you will have to process what you’ve just seen, but here’s a good explanation to the film to checkout after viewing.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ORZ2UG
Plot: Alien parasite is let loose on a campus which turns frat boys and sorority girls into Zombies.
KBZ’s Take: From the same mind that brought you The Monster Squad (1987) is another forgotten 80’s classic of the Alien Invasion subgenre. While it has campy humor throughout, it blends Sci-Fi and Horror together perfectly for an often-scary tale. There was so much fresh and entertaining in this film (at the time) that you can still see how inventive it was today. It’s funny, it’s scary and you have one of the greatest B-actors of 80’s Horror (Tom Atkins) saying, “Thrill Me.” That this film does…
Additional Lists: Top Films About Zombies You Haven’t Seen #5
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3gNP8qB
Plot: Small town suddenly becomes a hot bed of inventions run by strange green power devices.
KBZ’s Take: Like most Stephen King novels, their film adaptations can be hit or miss. The Tommyknockers film adaption was a TV mini-series that was panned by critics upon its release. However, we think it’s one of the better adaptations of his novels and a decent representation of some of the scarier elements of his novel. While it’s not the best King adaptation, it’s still a lesser-known film of the Alien Invasion subgenre that fans should check out.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3H4axGI
#6
Man Vs.
Plot: Reality TV star who does survival videos, is suddenly confronted with an alien invader.
KBZ’s Take: Basically, a low-budget variation of Predator (1987), Man Vs. is a survival films that survives despite a sub-par second half and below average CGI. The themes of hunter becoming hunted are prevalent throughout and the film is carried by the acting of Chris Diamantopoulos. It’s worth seeking out for fans of the subgenre that enjoy suspense and thrills in their Alien Invasion films.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3P93Ghj
#5
Battleship
Plot: Radio messages from Earth are received by an alien race that sends ships to prepare for a larger Alien invasion.
KBZ’s Take: While this film bombed at the box office, was hated by critics and has some Earth-sized plot holes in it, it’s still a great Alien Invasion film. Like most Alien Invasion films, you’ll have to suspend a certain amount of belief to enjoy the film. If you somehow have not seen this film yet, throw logic out the window and just enjoy.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3iq4Rwl
#4
The Arrival
Plot: Astrophysicist receives message of extraterrestrial origins and starts to unravel a cosmic conspiracy.
KBZ’s Take: Written and Directed by the great David Twohy (Riddick Franchise), The Arrival has all the elements of a classic Conspiracy Film. A lone man uncovers the origins of the conspiracy, nobody believes him, he investigates and finds the conspiracy is even bigger than he imagined. And in this instance, it involves aliens. While some people reading this list have probably already seen this film, it’s a film that shouldn’t be missed as it’s not only one of the best Films About Conspiracies but also one of the best Films About Alien Invasions.
Additional Lists: Top Films About Conspiracies You Haven’t Seen #6
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ugofPd
Plot: In the town of Dillford, Humans, Vampires and Zombies live together in peace…until aliens arrive.
KBZ’s Take: This is another bonkers film that has to be seen to believed. Any film that has Zombies, Vampires and Aliens all together in one film gets a ‘must watch’ tag in our book. And we have seen it and can say it’s gory, it’s scary and it’s laugh out loud funny. There’s some amazing writing in this film that translates so well onto screen that you’ll be stitches just from some of the dialogue. Definite must watch for fans of all Horror genres.
Additional Lists: Top Films About Zombies You Haven’t Seen #3
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VnUxn6
Plot: Family in rural New England discovers meteorite that crashes into their yard and starts to infect the surrounding area.
KBZ’s Take: We struggled with this film as we wanted to put it at #1 but had to keep our current film at #1 for reasons explained (in next entry). Color Out of Space is not only one of the best Alien Invasion films but is also one of the best Cosmic Horror films based on H.P. Lovecraft. Featuring a ‘good’ Nicolas Cage and a return to directing by Richard Stanley (Hardware (1990)), this film is an unconventional alien invasion that will have you transfixed throughout. Highly recommended film of the subgenre and one of its best.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3UuP9NM
Plot: Man starts to discover that his friends are acting strangely and discovers they’ve been taken over by alien entities.
KBZ’s Take: We had to put this film at #1 due to number of films that have used the “Body Snatchers” theme as the basis for an Alien Invasion. While the 1978 version of Body Snatchers wasn’t the first, here is a list of all the films based on this concept and story: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), this film, Body Snatchers (1993), The Puppet Masters (1994), The Invasion (2007) and Assimilate (2019). While the 1978 version is a bit dated with 1978’s San Francisco, the theme and horror of the pod people assimilation is just as relevant (and scary) today. While younger viewers might watch the more recent Assimilate, we advise any film fan generation to check out this version first – it’s the scariest, has some truly disturbing scenes (you’ll never forget the homeless man and his dog), and has arguably one of the most horrific and bone chilling endings to any film you will see.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3UqRzgz
