Throughout the years, many filmmakers have undertaken the challenge of cinematic alien portrayals, and have proved to be immensely successful. While the concept that humans are not alone in the universe is inherently terrifying, not all alien movies set out to scare. For example, films like Denis Villeneuve's Arrival focus on more conceptual themes, while movies such as Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial offer lighthearted depictions of unearthly visitors.
The release of Ridley Scott's famous 1979 blockbuster Alien represented a groundbreaking moment for these types of films and effectively revolutionized the extra-terrestrial sci-fi horror genre. The most recent addition to the beloved franchise came with the Alien franchise includes several amazing films, many other movies focus on otherworldly occurrences and deliver truly bone-chilling stories.
10 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Directed By Dan Trachtenberg
10 Cloverfield Lane
- Release Date
- March 10, 2016
- Runtime
- 103 Minutes
- Director
- Dan Trachtenberg
WHERE TO WATCH
From Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a young woman who awakens after a car crash in a bunker alongside two strangers. Howard (John Goodman) tells her that it's not safe to leave, and that he saved her life, but Michelle becomes increasingly suspicious of Howard's motives and his past and begins to plan a daring escape to see what exactly has happened to the outside world.
- Writers
- Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, Damien Chazelle
- Studio(s)
- Bad Robot
- Distributor(s)
- Paramount Pictures
- Main Genre
- Thriller
10 Cloverfield Lane represents an interesting case in the context of the genre. Aliens themselves aren't the focus of the plot by any means. Rather, it is the idea of their existence that makes the film unsettling. After Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) gets in a car accident, she wakes up in a bunker with an unknown man named Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.).
Her first thought is that she was abducted, but Howard claims that the ground above is uninhabitable due to an attack, whether it be from another country — or another world. The movie is similar to a psychological drama in the sense that the legitimacy of the circumstances is never clear. Certain developments suggest Walter is telling the truth, while others imply that he has a malicious nature. ending ultimately reveals the reality about the world above, and it makes the film all the more terrifying.
9 Signs (2002)
Directed By M. Night Shyamalan
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Signs
- Release Date
- August 2, 2002
- Runtime
- 106 minutes
- Director
- M. Night Shyamalan
WHERE TO WATCH
Signs is a sci-fi horror film by director M. Night Shyamalan. It follows devout priest Graham Hess and his family as they find themselves in the middle of a mysterious event where crop circles appear in the middle of their farmland. Then, seeing the entire world begin to experience similar phenomena, the family starts to worry about their safety and the end of days as they ponder what may be coming.
- Writers
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Studio(s)
- Disney
- Distributor(s)
- Disney
Signs marked director M. Night Shyamalan's 5th project, and he delivered a true classic. The film doesn't rely on over-the-top gore or visually striking monsters to instill fear. Rather, Shyamalan depicts the revelation of what an alien encounter might look like, and it's truly frightening. In the movie, Graham Hess' (Mel Gibson) life is turned upside down when he comes across other-worldly patterns cut into his crop field.
It isn't about the actions of the aliens, but rather the psychological torment they bring upon the characters.
Signs utilizes its tense atmosphere to create a sense of unease. It isn't the fact that the aliens are attacking that makes it scary, but rather the idea that they are present and lurking about. There is so much buildup throughout the plot that the brief appearances of aliens are all the more terrifying. The movie is so simple in its structure, but it plays into the narrative perfectly. It isn't about the actions of the aliens, but rather the psychological torment they bring upon the characters.
8 Nope (2022)
Directed By Jordan Peele
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Nope
- Release Date
- July 22, 2022
- Runtime
- 131 minutes
- Director
- Jordan Peele
Cast
Michael Wincott
WHERE TO WATCH
Written and directed by Jordan Peele, Nope follows the owners of a family-run Hollywood horse ranch whose lives are changed by extraterrestrial phenomena. Siblings Otis (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) scramble to understand events that seem to defy all explanation, even as their neighbor (Steven Yeun) tries to turn the strange occurrences into a alien tourist attraction.
- Writers
- Jordan Peele
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
Nope was fabled horror director Jordan Peele's first attempt at portraying an alien story. Although it didn't receive the same degree of positive critical reception as his previous works, it turned out to be an incredibly intriguing and unsettling film. The plot follows OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer), who attempt to gain evidence of extra-terrestrial life after encountering a UFO.
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The film doesn't exactly follow the traditional formula of an alien movie, but it doesn't take away from the terror. It isn't about the malicious nature of the visitors, but rather what their existence represents. From a horror standpoint, Nope is bolstered by its dark-natured cinematography and anxiety-building scenes. It's not only a spine-chilling movie, but it offers many insightful underlying concepts. OJ and Emerald's relentless efforts to catch the aliens on camera speak to Hollywood's fascination with capturing a spectacle. Nope's unique ending similarly proposes many questions about the film's message.
7 Alien (1979)
Directed By Ridley Scott
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Alien
- Release Date
- June 22, 1979
- Runtime
- 117 Minutes
- Director
- Ridley Scott
Cast
Dallas
Ripley
WHERE TO WATCH
Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, is a science fiction horror film that follows the crew of the commercial spacecraft Nostromo. Upon investigating a distress signal on a distant moon, they discover a deadly extraterrestrial lifeform. The film stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley and became a seminal work in both the sci-fi and horror genres, known for its atmospheric tension and groundbreaking visual effects.
- Writers
- Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
The classic and beloved Alien created a formula for the genre that worked incredibly well. The well-written narrative, excellent performances, and gripping action were just a few reasons the film became so famous. As Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her fellow crew-mates are stuck with a malevolent life form on the USCSS Nostromo, there is a true sense of helplessness.
Ridley Scott's decision to rely on practical effects rather than overbearing CGI created a tangible and horrifying atmosphere. The depiction of the Xenomorph was truly one of a kind, and arguably the best design for an alien to date. The film is so immersive and offers such a unique suspension of disbelief. On top of its distinct premise, Alien is packed with harsh gore that's oftentimes hard to watch. All of these factors combined to create a blood-curdling, iconic story that unsurprisingly inspired an entire franchise.
6 A Quiet Place (2018)
Directed By John Krasinski
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A Quiet Place
- Release Date
- April 6, 2018
- Runtime
- 90 Minutes
- Director
- John Krasinski
Cast
Lee Abbott
Evelyn Abbott
WHERE TO WATCH
A Quiet Place, directed by John Krasinski, follows a family navigating a post-apocalyptic world where they must live in silence to evade deadly creatures that hunt by sound.
- Writers
- John Krasinski, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
- Studio(s)
- Platinum Dunes, Sunday Night Productions
- Distributor(s)
- Paramount Pictures
A Quiet Place was a box office smash when it was released, and understandably so. It was shortly followed up by a sequel, and a recent origin story dubbed A Quiet Place: Day One. The premise is very original and plays into the core characteristics that qualify a film as horror. The hyper-violent aliens have super strength and hearing but a complete absence of vision. These monsters effectively hunt using sound, and it's utterly nerve-racking. Jump scares are one of the most effective methods of instilling fear in horror movies, and A Quiet Place implements them so well.
The movie only has 90 lines of spoken dialogue, while average films have thousands.
Because of the circumstances of the story, the audio is usually limited to the sounds of nature or complete silence. Consequently, when the grotesque aliens attack, it's all the more horrifying and chaotic. It makes it even scarier that the daughter, Regan (Millicent Simmonds), is deaf and cannot sense how much noise she is making. The film utilizes her unique perspective to its advantage in several gripping scenes. It's interesting to have a horror film devoid of sound, but it only serves to benefit the atmosphere.
5 Annihilation (2018)
Directed By Alex Garland
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Annihilation
- Release Date
- February 23, 2018
- Runtime
- 115 Minutes
- Director
- Alex Garland
Cast
Kola Bokinni
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Alex Garland, Jeff VanderMeer
- Studio(s)
- Paramount Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Paramount Pictures, Netflix
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
Loosely based on the novel of the same name, Annihilation is a visually stunning sci-fi that is packed full of absolutely wild scenes. The story follows biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) as she ventures into an inexplicable, ethereal bubble referred to as "The Shimmer" that formed on the coastline. Inside the mysterious landscape, the laws of nature work in strange ways, as plants and aliens mutate due to the alien presence. The film is wildly different from the schematic of the traditional alien genre but is executed perfectly.
Annihilation is terrifying for several reasons. The world inside the shimmer is masterfully crafted to present a reality that seems devoid of all logic. Things behave differently than they should, and it slowly drives the characters into madness that seems to extend past the screen. While the challenges Lena encounters are scary, the film doesn't instill fear in an expected way. Rather, it inflicts a sense of psychological trauma. Given the complicated nature of the film, there are several explanations behind Annihilation's meaning.
4 Dark Skies (2013)
Directed By Scott Stewart
Dark Skies explores how the presence of aliens can disrupt all aspects of life, and turn reality into a living nightmare. At the center of the story lies the Barrett family, who live a relatively quiet life. However, things start to change when they start experiencing random occurrences, from birds flying into their window to spontaneous nosebleeds. Dark Skies is criminally underrated given how creepy the ambiance of the film is.
There never seems to be any hope for the victims of the other-worldly guests. Despite the family's best efforts, the constant torment brought upon them seems inescapable. The design of the aliens, known as "The Greys," is equally blood-curdling. They are tall, faceless, shadowy figures that have a Slenderman-like appearance. Even when they are not physically present, they are pulling the strings to make the characters feel like they're going insane. Better yet, Dark Skies' ending is unexpected, creative, and above all, frightening.
3 No One Will Save You (2023)
Directed By Brian Duffield
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No One Will Save You
- Release Date
- September 22, 2023
- Runtime
- 93 Minutes
- Director
- Brian Duffield
Cast
WHERE TO WATCH
No One Will Save You is a sci-fi horror film by writer-director Brian Duffield created for Hulu. Kaitlyn Dever stars as Brynn, a young woman who struggles to connect with the world and spends her time at home honing her creative talents. However, Brynn's peace is disrupted when her home is suddenly the stage of an alien invasion, forcing her to break out of her shell enough to fend off her would be extraterrestrial assailants.
- Writers
- Brian Duffield
- Studio(s)
- 20th Century Studios, Star Thrower Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Hulu
No One Will Save You had an unexpected amount of substance for a relatively subtle release. The plot follows Brynn Adams (Kaitlyn Dever), who lives alone and never socializes. She is shunned by her peers and keeps to herself, but one night, she is suddenly visited by unearthly guests. In a creative premise play on words, Brynn is effectively a sort of alien within her community, who gets terrorized by actual aliens. The film is so sinister, not merely due to the eerie extraterrestrials, but because of the circumstances of Brynn's with them.
She is alone, trapped in her house, with virtually no hope of escape. The horror is unsurprisingly ramped up by the depiction of the aliens. Much like the monsters in A Quiet Place, these humanoid figures are long, gangly, spider-like creatures that move quickly on their four legs. Although the plot has an odd pacing, the story is filled with massive amounts of suspense and petrifying portrayals of aliens who will stop at nothing to get to their victims.
2 The Fourth Kind (2009)
Directed By Olatunde Osunsanmi
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The Fourth Kind
- Release Date
- November 6, 2009
- Runtime
- 98 Minutes
- Director
- Olatunde Osunsanmi
- Writers
- Olatunde Osunsanmi
Cast
Milla Jovovich-
Will Patton
The Fourth Kind is a science fiction thriller directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, set in Nome, Alaska. The film stars Milla Jovovich as Dr. Abigail Tyler, a psychologist investigating a series of mysterious disappearances. The narrative blends dramatizations with purportedly real archival footage to explore the phenomenon of alien abductions, offering a chilling perspective on a series of unexplained nocturnal events.
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
In consideration of the sub-genre of alien movies as a whole, there aren't any other works quite like The Fourth Kind. The movie is shot in the style of a pseudo-documentary, serving as a reenactment of rumored extra-terrestrial occurrences that took place in Nome, Alaska. The movie certainly isn't perfect. The plot is roughly strung together at times and doesn't necessarily stick to its source material.
However, The Fourth Kind makes up for its narrative faults with intense scenes that are sure to thrill and terrify. In a similar style to the V/H/S horror franchise, the movie often utilizes distorted, shaky cam footage to create an uneasy ambiance. Although the meta film style is a bit hard to get used to, when the action ramps up, it's bone-chilling. The horror of The Fourth Kind doesn't stem from anything flashy, but is rather a product of short possession scenes that are elevated by the circumstances of the story.
1 Fire in the Sky (1993)
Directed By Robert Lieberman
Fire in The Sky is a quintessential alien film through and through. The story is essentially a blueprint of what one might expect an extra-terrestrial encounter to look like. A ship appears, someone gets beamed up and ultimately has to face the terrors of whatever awaits them. The film is horrifying already, but even more unsettling considering the plot is based on the of a real person, Travis Walton. Walton claims he was abducted by a UFO in 1975 and woke up to three humanoid creatures looking down at him.
The real Travis Walton makes a cameo appearance in the film within the church crowd.
Fire in the Sky's depiction of his experience is significantly adjusted, but it results in a terrifying film. In one of the most famous scenes of the genre to date, three aliens operate on Walton (D.B. Sweeney) as he hopelessly struggles to break free. As his captors experiment with him, they wrap him in a membrane-like sheet and insert various metal prods into his body. It's quite possibly the most nightmarish scenario anyone could imagine, and is one of many reasons that Fire in the Sky is among the creepiest of alien movies.
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