Famous Movie Aliens

From Ridley Scott, starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Rated R

"Alien" is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver. The story follows the crew of a commercial space tug Nostromo which is on its way back to Earth. After receiving a distress signal from a nearby planet, the crew investigates and discovers an alien life form that proves to be far more dangerous than they could have imagined. The alien begins to hunt down the crew one by one, and they must fight to survive and make it home alive. Along the way, the crew must confront their own fears and prejudices as they come to terms with the alien’s existence and fight for their lives.

From James Cameron, starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser
Rated R

Aliens is a 1986 science-fiction horror film written and directed by James Cameron, starring Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn. The film follows Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of the previous film, as she returns to the planet LV-426 with a team of colonial marines to investigate the sudden loss of contact with a terraforming colony. After arriving, they find the colonists have been wiped out by a vicious alien species. In the ensuing battle, Ripley must join forces with the marines in order to survive and defeat the aliens. Along the way, she discovers a surprising connection to the aliens, as well as her own strength and courage. Aliens is a thrilling action-packed sci-fi classic with an intense story and dynamic characters that has become one of the most beloved films of all time.

From John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur
Rated R

The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter and written by Bill Lancaster. It follows a group of American researchers in Antarctica as they are confronted by a parasitic extraterrestrial lifeform that assimilates and then imitates other organisms. The researchers soon find themselves in a desperate fight for survival against the creature, which has now taken on the form of some of the researchers it has assimilated. As the group become increasingly paranoid of one another, they come to realize that to survive, they must not only fight the creature, but also the fear and mistrust within their own ranks.

From Denis Villeneuve, starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg
Rated PG-13

Arrival is a 2016 science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. The film follows linguistics professor Louise Banks (Adams) as she is recruited by the U.S. government to investigate the mysterious arrival of several alien spacecrafts. With the help of theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly (Renner), she embarks on a journey to decode the extraterrestrial language and find out what the aliens have come to Earth for. Along the way, they discover that the aliens have come to offer a warning about an impending global disaster. With the clock ticking, Louise must race against time to prevent a calamity and save humanity.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace
Rated PG

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction fantasy film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott (Henry Thomas), a young boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. Elliott and his siblings help E.T. return to his home planet, while avoiding government agents and a team of scientists. Along the way, Elliott and E.T. develop a special bond, making Elliott realize the importance of family and friendship. The film features special effects by Carlo Rambaldi and Dennis Muren, and a musical score composed by John Williams. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was the highest-grossing film of 1982 and one of the highest-grossing films of all time. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won four. It was released on home video in 1985 and re-released in 2002, and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1994. It was voted the greatest film of all time by an audience of 10,000 people in a 2003 British Film Institute poll.

From Neill Blomkamp, starring Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt
Rated R

District 9 is a science fiction action film directed by Neill Blomkamp in 2009. It focuses on a world in which aliens have been forced to live in a slum-like area called District 9 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The film follows protagonist Wikus van der Merwe, a bureaucrat assigned to relocate the aliens to a new camp. However, when Wikus contracts an alien virus, he must team up with the aliens to fight for their freedom. The film combines themes of racism, xenophobia, and social segregation as it follows Wikus’ journey to help the aliens and ultimately gain their freedom.

From Doug Liman, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
Rated PG-13

Edge of Tomorrow is a sci-fi action film directed by Doug Liman and starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The movie follows Major William Cage (Cruise), an officer in the United Defense Force who is thrust into battle against an alien race known as the Mimics. Cage soon discovers that he is stuck in a time loop, where he is doomed to relive the same battle over and over until he can find a way to win. With the help of Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt), Cage must figure out a way to beat the aliens and ultimately save the world from destruction.

From John McTiernan, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall, Elpidia Carrillo
Rated R

Predator is a 1987 sci-fi action film directed by John McTiernan and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Bill Duke. It follows a team of elite commandos who are sent on a mission to a Central American jungle to rescue hostages. However, they soon discover that they are being stalked by an alien creature whose advanced technology makes it nearly impossible to defeat. After a series of violent showdowns, it is up to Schwarzenegger's character to take on the Predator and save the day.

From Don Siegel, starring Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan
Rated Approved

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a science-fiction horror film directed by Don Siegel and released in 1956. The film tells the story of Dr. Miles Bennell, who returns home to the small town of Santa Mira and discovers a terrifying phenomenon: Alien "body snatchers" have taken over the citizens, replacing them with emotionless duplicates. With the help of his friend, psychologist Dr. Dan Kauffman, Miles works to discover the true nature of the invaders and prevent a full-scale takeover of the town. Together, they uncover a sinister plan and must now race against time to save humanity. The film is an allegory for the fear of communism and the paranoia of the Cold War era. It has since been deemed a classic of the genre and has been remade multiple times.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon
Rated PG

Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a science fiction adventure directed by Steven Spielberg in 1977. The movie tells the story of Roy Neary, an everyday man whose life is changed when he has a close encounter with a UFO. Afterward, he begins to experience a strong connection to something unknown and unexplainable. He eventually finds himself on an incredible journey across the country in order to get answers about this experience. Along the way, he meets a group of other people who have had similar experiences. Together, they must battle government forces that are trying to keep the truth of UFOs hidden from the public. In the end, the group is taken to a secret location where they have a face-to-face encounter with the aliens.

From Robert Zemeckis, starring Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Rated PG

"Contact" is a science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis in 1997. The movie stars Jodie Foster as Dr. Ellie Arroway, a scientist investigating a mysterious signal from outer space. The signal is eventually discovered to be a message from an alien civilization, with instructions for building a machine that could transport a human being to the aliens' home planet. Ellie embarks on a journey that takes her far beyond her own understanding of the universe. Along the way, she faces opposition from both the government and her own scientific colleagues, who don't believe her story. Eventually, Ellie is able to prove the existence of the alien civilization, and she embarks on her mission to make contact. The movie is an exploration of faith, science, and the human need to reach out and make contact with something greater than ourselves.

From Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio
Rated PG-13

From Dan Trachtenberg, starring John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Douglas M. Griffin
Rated PG-13

From Frank Darabont, starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher
Rated R

From J.J. Abrams, starring Elle Fanning, AJ Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney
Rated PG-13

From Michael Bay, starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson
Rated PG-13

From Roland Emmerich, starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell
Rated PG-13

From Josh Trank, starring Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly
Rated PG-13

From Greg Mottola, starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Mia Stallard
Rated R

From M. Night Shyamalan, starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin
Rated PG-13

From Tim Burton, starring Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Annette Bening
Rated PG-13