The 10 Best Alien Invasion Movies, Ranked (2024)

Ever since the dawn of humanity, there have been countless examples of people invading another place and conquering the people. History is full of examples of supposedly "superior" or "civilized" groups subduing others, often through bloody means. This has led to the fear of an invasion from an external becoming common, especially as our knowledge of space and its infinite possibilities increases.

In the 20th century, this fear became ingrained in popular culture in the form of the science fiction trope known as the alien invasion. From film serials of the '50s, such as Radar Men from the Moon, to more modern invasion flicks, such as Pacific Rim, tales of extraterrestrial invaders from beyond the stars threatening the people of Earth became a common fixture of science fiction cinema as well. These are the best alien invasion movies, showcasing the possibilities of the sci-fi genre and acting as a love letter to humanity's resilience.

10 'Earth vs. the Flying Saucers' (1956)

Directed by Fred F. Sears

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is an alien invasion science fiction movie directed by The Giant Claw director Fred F. Sears, loosely based on a book called Flying Saucers from Outer Space. First released in 1956, the plot follows a scientist named Dr. Russell Marvin and his wife Carol as they discover an alien invasion and try to find a way to repel it.

One of the best aspects of Earth vs the Flying Saucers is the special effects, brought to life by the legendary visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen. Guided by this once-in-a-generation talent, the effects for both the flying saucers and the aliens that piloted them were highly effective for the time, appearing more convincing than nearly any other sci-fi film at the time. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers also established many of the tropes of the alien invasion genre, including abductions via flying saucer. However, the plot is a bit generic by today's standards, potentially making it a difficult watch for more modern viewers.

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9 'Independence Day' (1996)

Directed by Roland Emmerich

Independence Day is an alien invasion science fiction film first released in 1996. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the plot follows a group of people, mostly from either the government or military, dealing with the newly discovered presence of extraterrestrial invaders. A huge blockbuster hit, the film spawned a sequel in 2016 and various extended media, including video games and novels.

The film's impressive cast includes the likes of Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Randy Quaid, so it's no surprise that each actor completely sells every emotion, like the determination shown by Bill Pullman's President Thomas J. Whitmore during his iconic speech toward the end of the movie. Like other movies of its kind, Independence Day has incredible special effects. For instance, in the iconic scene in which the aliens destroy the White House, a lot of detail is put into this scene, as not only is every brick visible but also the exploding helicopter in front of the building. Independence Day is one of the most iconic and enduring disaster movies and a highlight of the alien invasion subgenre.

Independence Day

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

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Release Date

June 25, 1996

Cast

Will Smith , Bill Pullman , Jeff Goldblum , Mary McDonnell , Judd Hirsch , Robert Loggia

Runtime

145

Writers

Dean Devlin , Roland Emmerich

8 'Signs' (2002)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Signs is an alien invasion drama film first released in 2002. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, best known for his twist endings, the story follows a priest named Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) as he deals with the grief surrounding the recent passing of his wife while trying to keep his family safe amidst an alien invasion. The film shines with its performances. For example, Gibson convincingly goes from scared to angry to determined to protect his children to conflicted about his faith.

Additionally, Signs also excels in establishing, maintaining, and increasing the suspense. For instance, the first hint of the aliens' presence is a series of crop circles, but the invaders' appearance is kept hidden. Later, a brief glimpse is shown in a grainy found footage style, arguably the film's most iconic scene. This lack of clear identification of the alien invaders for the majority of the runtime allows the audience to build up their appearance, thus gradually increasing said tension throughout the movie. However, the notoriously nonsensical twist ending does hurt the quality overall.

Signs

PG-13

Drama

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Thriller

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Release Date

August 2, 2002

Cast

Mel Gibson , Joaquin Phoenix , Rory Culkin , Abigail Breslin , Cherry Jones , M. Night Shyamalan

Runtime

106 minutes

Writers

M. Night Shyamalan

7 'Slither' (2006)

Directed by James Gunn

Slither is a sci-fi comedy-horror first released in 2006. Directed by James Gunn, the plot follows a police officer named Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) as he deals with an alien plague that has infected his town, making a man named Grant (Michael Rooker) their infected hivemind. The practical visual effects are the stars here.

The extraterrestrial plague turns its victims into bloated monsters: when the character Brenda becomes infected, she turns into a blob-like creature whose size is emphasized by the space she is taking up. Additionally, the threatening nature of the smaller aliens is demonstrated by their high speed and vicious attacks. Being a pre-Guardians of the Galaxy James Gunn film, Slither provides additional incentive to watch by giving an insight into Gunn's development as a director before this more famous effort.

Slither

R

Comedy

Horror

Sci-Fi

Release Date

March 31, 2006

Cast

Don Thompson , Nathan Fillion , Gregg Henry , Xantha Radley , Elizabeth Banks , Tania Saulnier

Runtime

96

Writers

James Gunn

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6 'The World's End' (2013)

Directed by Edgar Wright

The World's End is a science fiction comedy film directed by Edgar Wright. The final entry in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, the plot follows a group of friends that, during a pub crawl, discover an alien invasion conspiracy and then have to attempt to survive it. The World's End is a comedic riot. For example, when Nick Frost's character, Andy, attempts to order water at one of the pubs, Simon Pegg's character, Gary, responds with an incredulous "What?!".

This contrast between Pegg and Frost's characters' personalities indicates the type of effective comedy duo balance present throughout the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. These kinds of opposite personalities bounce off of each other, creating natural and contagious humor that never distracts from the alien invasion plot. Plus, the effects for the androids, referred to as Blanks, are also quite good. For instance, when a Blank is activated, a glow is seen from behind their eyes and coming from inside their mouths, emphasizing their inhuman nature and their lack of belonging in the human world.

The World's End

R

Action

Comedy

Sci-Fi

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Release Date

July 18, 2013

Cast

Thomas Law , Zachary Bailess , Jasper Levine , James Tarpey , Luke Bromley , Sophie Evans

Runtime

109

Writers

Simon Pegg , Edgar Wright

5 'Mars Attacks!' (1996)

Directed by Tim Burton

Mars Attacks! is a black parody science fiction film based on a line of trading cards of the same name. Directed by Tim Burton, the plot follows a group of colorful humans, including the president (Jack Nicholson), a donut shop employee named Richie Norris (Lukas Haas), and numerous military generals who deal with the aftermath of a Martian invasion. The character design for the Martians is very good, with vaguely skeletal designs and prominently protruding brains, a unique and striking design even by today's standards.

The CGI further enhances the otherworldly nature of the alien invaders while also mimicking the appearance of similar invaders in movies from the '50s and '60s. Just as important is the satirical tone, helping the film stand out. The president, played by an over-the-top Jack Nicholson, refuses to believe that the aliens could be hostile, even after their violent attack at the beginning of the film. Mars Attacks! satirizes the subgenre's usually competent government forces from earlier films with a more realistic, and therefore far less competent, government force.

Mars Attacks!

PG-13

Sci-Fi

Comedy

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Release Date

December 13, 1996

Cast

Jack Nicholson , Pierce Brosnan , Sarah Jessica Parker , Annette Bening , Glenn Close , Danny DeVito , Martin Short , Michael J. Fox , Natalie Portman

Runtime

106 Minutes

4 'Pacific Rim' (2013)

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Pacific Rim is a science fiction film first released in 2013. Helmed by Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak director Guillermo del Toro, the story follows a group of humans that build and operate giant robots called Jaegers to fight kaiju invaders from beneath the sea. The film received a sequel, an anime, and various other extended media.

One of the best aspects of the movie is the distinct designs for the Jaegers and Kaiju. In regards to the Jaegers, the Gipsy Danger has a blue, Master Chief-style design, the Crimson Typhoon has three arms instead of the usual two, and the Cherno Alpha has a nuclear reactor-style head. For their part, the Kaiju Knifehead has a large, blade-like head, Otachi has a reptilian head and a scorpion tail, and Scunner has a battering ram-style head. Being a Guillermo del Toro movie, Pacific Rim has stellar visual effects. During the fight scenes, every impact between the Jaegers and Kaiju is noticeable and impactful, with the audience feeling each blow.

Pacific Rim

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

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Release Date

July 11, 2013

Cast

Charlie Hunnam , Diego Klattenhoff , Idris Elba , Rinko Kikuchi , Charlie Day , Burn Gorman

Runtime

131

Writers

Travis Beacham , Guillermo del Toro

3 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1978)

Directed by Philip Kaufman

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a science fiction horror film directed by Philip Kaufman. First released in 1978, it is the remake of the 1956 film of the same name, based on the 1955 novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. The story follows a group of San Francisco people who uncover an extraterrestrial conspiracy to replace humanity and then have to deal with this invasion.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers shines through tension. At the start of the film, Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) unwittingly brings an alien seed to her boyfriend, Geoffrey (Art Hindle), who then is replaced by one of the aliens, and she slowly comes to terms with his bizarre new behavior. This increasing tension leads to the audience being in a constant state of suspense alongside the characters as the truth about the invasion slowly gets revealed. The film flirts with body horror, too: when a person is seeded, their slimy and liquid duplicate emerges, demonstrating their invasive and inhuman nature. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a triumph of science fiction, one of the most influential films of the '70s and a true before-and-after in alien invasion movies.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

PG

Sci-Fi

Thriller

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Release Date

December 22, 1978

Cast

Donald Sutherland , Brooke Adams , Leonard Nimoy , Jeff Goldblum , Veronica Cartwright

Runtime

115

Writers

W.D. Richter

2 'Edge of Tomorrow' (2014)

Directed by Doug Liman

Edge of Tomorrow is a science fiction action film first released in 2014. Directed by director Doug Liman, the plot follows a soldier named Bill Cage (Tom Cruise), who, after being doused in alien blood, finds himself repeating the same day every time he dies. It's based on the popular novel by Japanese writer Hiroshi Sakurazaka and features stunning visual and production design.

The armor worn by the human soldiers is very bulky and stacked with weapons, hinting at the war-torn nature of the world and providing an easy outlet for action by having the characters run around strapped with large guns and high-tech body armor. Meanwhile, the alien invaders are given a reptilian design, enhancing their vicious nature. Cruise's Bill Cage is one of his best roles in ages, blending physicality with emotional heft, perfectly complemented by his co-star, Emily Blunt. Edge of Tomorrow is arguably the most cerebral alien invasion movie of the 21st century, a near-perfect blend of ambitious and challenging ideas and sheer spectacle.

Edge of Tomorrow

PG-13

Sci-Fi

Action

Thriller

Adventure

Where to Watch

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Release Date

June 6, 2014

Cast

Tom Cruise , Emily Blunt , Bill Paxton , Brendan Gleeson , Noah Taylor , Kick Gurry , Dragomir Mrsic , Charlotte Riley , Jonas Armstrong , Franz Drameh , Masayoshi Haneda , Tony Way

Runtime

1h 53m

Writers

John-Henry Butterworth , Christopher McQuarrie , Jez Butterworth

1 'The War of the Worlds' (1953)

Directed by Byron Haskin

The War of the Worlds is a science fiction thriller first released in 1953. Directed by Too Late for Tears director Byron Haskin, the plot follows a scientist named Dr. Clayton Forrester and his love interest Sylvia Van Buren as they try to survive a Martian invasion. It was based on the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells. The visual effects are one of the best aspects of The War of the Worlds. For example, the Martian ships, replacing the tripods from the book, are brought to life through practical effects that were more effective than nearly anything else at the time.

This innovation is especially evident when they are flying, as they are convincingly hovering above the ground. In addition, the production design is also quite good. For instance, in the scene in which Clayton and Sylvia find themselves in an abandoned farm, the building they are in is extremely dilapidated and almost falling apart, thus showing the devastating nature of the Martian invasion. This destruction is also seen in the various ravaged cities in the ruined and empty streets and buildings that lay empty due to the aftermath of the invasion. Bringing to life one of science fiction's greatest stories, The War of the Worlds would inspire most of cinema's future alien invasion movies, cementing its place as the best and most influential movie of its kind.

The War of the Worlds

G

Sci-Fi

Action

Thriller

Release Date

August 26, 1953

Cast

Gene Barry , Ann Robinson , Les Tremayne , Robert Cornthwaite

Runtime

85 Minutes

Writers

H.G. Wells , Barré Lyndon

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