45 Best Movies About Alien Invasions, Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes

Movies about disasters—natural or human-made—have been produced since the earliest days of film. As early as 1916, a disaster with an extraterrestrial cause was touted in The End of the World, a Danish film about a passing comet causing chaos and terror on Earth. But most stories about disasters being visited upon our planet from outer space involve aliens, not comets.

A comet has no agency, no malignant intent… on the other hand, alien invaders want to conquer humans, enslave the world, and consume humanity’s precious resources before laying waste to the entire surface of the planet. What follows are the top alien invasion movies that manage to capture this horror, ranked according to their scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

45

‘Independence Day’ (1996)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%

Image via 20th Century Studios

Most likely the first film that comes to mind whenever fans mention alien invasion, Independence Day revolves around a massive alien invasion on Earth, where humanity must unite to combat a technologically advanced and formidable extraterrestrial force.

With an A-list cast including Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman, the film beautifully combines thrilling aerial warfare, high-stakes action, and heroic moments, giving fans a treat for the eyes. Also, the White House being demolished by an alien spacecraft is still remembered for its famous image.

44

‘Earth vs. the Flying Saucers’ (1956)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

Most definitely a film of its time, 1956’s Earth vs. the Flying Saucers made the most of the 1950s obsession with alien spacecraft and helped launch a bevy of similar films all revolving—in a manner of speaking—around flying saucers. In this film, at least, the aliens at first have no intention of invading, but after being met with violence when they first land, they retaliate ruthlessly.

Special effects legend Ray Harryhausen created the flying saucers with stop-motion animation that was very effective for its time, one reason why this is still regarded as a seminal and groundbreaking alien invasion film. Even now, there’s still some value in watching this sci-fi classic, if only to see the iconic imagery.

43

‘War of the Worlds’ (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Image via Paramount Pictures

The beloved sci-fi action film, War of the Worlds, is Steven Spielberg‘s 2005 version of H. G. Wells‘ classic story. It seems entirely fitting that a director with Spielberg’s ability to make the epic personal should craft a film where the concerns of a single man, Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise), should focus the attention of the audience while the world around him succumbs to one of the most horrifying and cinematically glorious alien invasions ever put on the big screen.

Although Ferrier’s family life can sometimes seem overly melodramatic, it all makes sense in those scenes where his children are threatened. The escape from the Hudson River ferry, for example, when the giant striding Martian machines wreak havoc and slaughter, must have had even the most jaded sci-fi critic looking for a bigger box of popcorn to hide behind.

42

‘Signs’ (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Image via Touchstone Pictures

Though today he’s known as one of Hollywood’s most hit-or-miss directors, back in his early days, M. Night Shyamalan was one of the most exciting young voices in the industry. He cemented his title as such with 2002’s Signs, a mystery sci-fi drama where a widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in the fields, suggesting something more frightening to come.

Signs is still remembered as one of the best Hollywood sci-fi films of the 2000s, as well as one of the best sci-fi thrillers of all time. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics praised Shyamalan’s unique suspense-building skills, labeling it as a future classic, which it has certainly proved to be. Scary, deeply meaningful, and surprisingly influential, it’s one of the director’s defining works.

41

‘The Hidden’ (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%

Image via New Line Cinema

In Jack Sholder‘s The Hidden, a cop and an FBI agent race for answers after law-abiding people suddenly become violent criminals. This is one of those perfect ’80s movies that nobody seems to remember anymore, an action horror gem that mixes adrenaline-pumping thrills with a healthy dose of dark humor in a way that works remarkably well.

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics praise Sholder’s sense of breakneck pacing and frenetic tension, as well as the film’s stylish action scenes and the ingenious story. Made on a low budget of roughly $5 million dollars, The Hidden has aged wonderfully as one of the most awfully underappreciated sci-fi films of the ’80s, powered by Kyle MacLachlan‘s memorable lead performance.

40

‘Quatermass 2’ (1957)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%

Image via BBC

With a screenplay by Nigel Kneale based on his television series of the same name, 1957’s Quatermass 2 was one of the earliest sci-fi films produced by Britain’s Hammer Studios. The film has a straightforward narrative about aliens taking over humans, in this instance, to help build and keep secret a giant base to house and protect the invaders.

What makes Quatermass 2 special is the way it uses suspicion and paranoia to propel the narrative along, helping to paper over some gaping holes in the story’s logic and scientific plausibility. All in all, it’s a great deal of fun with several scenes of real horror and growing dread.

39

‘Cloverfield’ (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%

Image via Paramount Pictures

Cloverfield is a found footage-style monster thriller film that follows a group of friends in New York City who are documenting a farewell party when a massive monster suddenly attacks the city. The film captures their attempt to survive and navigate the chaos as they make their way through the devastated streets, battling not only the monster but also other terrifying creatures that have been released.

Cloverfield stands out in its genre for its distinctive use of discovered material, compelling plot, and tense setting. Additionally, the film generates a realistic sense of anxiety for viewers by concentrating on the views of common people caught up in a tragic occurrence. The film’s cryptic marketing materials and viral marketing strategy also increased its appeal and generated interest.

38

‘Predator’ (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Image via 20th Century Studios

Predator, which was directed by John McTiernan and serves as the first installment in the same-name franchise, follows a group of elite commandos, led by Arnold Schwarzenegger as Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer, who find themselves being hunted in the dense jungles of Central America by an invisible and technologically advanced alien creature.

The movie became a new benchmark for the sci-fi action genre as well as the alien invasion subgenre thanks to its tight action scenes, catchy one-liners, and the intimidating presence of the Predator. People were hooked on the fascinating premise that they’ve been able to draw even more stories from over the years.

37

‘Super 8’ (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

Image via Paramount Pictures 

For fans of Steven Spielberg, there are very few filmmakers with a body of work as guaranteed to be enjoyable as J.J. Abrams‘s. Throughout his entire career, Abrams has been constantly compared to the father of summer blockbusters, and it’s all thanks to movies as incredible as Super 8 (which was actually produced by Spielberg). This alien invasion movie is a conspiracy thriller where, during the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.

Very much in the same vein as Stranger Things, Super 8 is full of nostalgia for the era, but is much more than just a trip down memory lane. A celebration of childhood, filmmaking, and love, it’s a movie as emotionally stirring as it is terrifying and exhilarating. The cast of children does an amazing job, and Abrams’s direction has never been more consistently energetic and creative than here.

36

‘It Came from Outer Space’ (1953)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

Image via Universal-International

The sci-fi horror B-picture It Came from Outer Space was Universal-International’s first-ever 3D feature, and though it’s a pretty dated picture in many areas, it’s nevertheless an underrated gem. It’s the story of aspaceship from another world crashing in the Arizona desert. Only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strangely.The approval of 81% of critics is no small feat for a sci-fi B-picture from Hollywood’s Golden Age, but, then again, It Came from Outer Space is no ordinary alien invasion romp. Calling it “pulpy but effective,” critics on Rotten Tomatoes celebrate its entertainment value and its timely messages on xenophobia, even if audiences on the site have been much less generous, earning the film a rather undeservedly low audience score of 56%.