Aliens are a staple in sci-fi films. Filmmakers have used so many ways to keep this trope fresh and thrilling. But one of the most striking cases is when the aliens come out on top, proving how helpless humans are in the face of the unknown. Here are our picks for the eight best sci-fi films where the aliens win.
8. They Live (1988)
John Carpenter’s ‘They Live’ presents a sharp commentary on consumerism and capitalism by brilliantly using the premise of an alien invasion. The extraterrestrials have secretly infiltrated the Earth, disguised as humans and establishing themselves in the highest levels of society.
Their true appearance is only visible when humans wear a special pair of sunglasses. The plot itself shows that the aliens already have the upper hand, but it is in the film’s final minutes when things get interesting.
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7. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ offers a very thought-provoking take on the alien victory. An alien named Klaatu arrives on Earth with a warning: abandon nuclear weapons and embrace peaceful coexistence.
If the world leaders don’t agree, they will face serious intervention from a powerful interplanetary police force. There is also a 2008 remake starring Keanu Reeves which reimagines the story with Earth’s environmental degradation as the focus.
6. District 9 (2009)
Inspired by events in Cape Town’s District Six during the apartheid era, ‘District 9’ is set in an alternate history of that time. An alien spaceship with malnourished and diseased aliens is discovered in Johannesburg.
The government of the time confines them all in the camp called District 9, where they endure years of abuse and discrimination at the hands of humans. The turning point comes when one of them escapes and exposes the horrific situation.
5. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Unlike most alien movies, in ‘E.T. the Extra Terrestrial’, we were all rooting for the extraterrestrial to win. After getting stranded on Earth, the titular alien forms a genuine friendship with a young boy named Elliot.
With his friends and family, Elliot risks everything to help his alien friend evade government agents and go back home. The movie is one of the best alien movies of all time, all because of its themes of kindness, compassion and an unforgettable bond between humans and aliens.
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4. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Steven Spielberg always brings the most unique and compelling films on aliens. After electrical lineman Roy Neary has a life-changing encounter with a UFO, its mystery leads him towards a historic meeting between humanity and extraterrestrial beings.
Rather than invading the Earth, in this movie, the aliens negotiate with the government and return the people they previously abducted. Instead, they want the protagonist himself.
3. Planet Of The Apes (1968)
The absolute classic alien film, ‘Planet of the Apes’ reveals a future where humanity has completely lost its place at the top of the food chain. It follows an astronaut ship that travels through time to the year 3978.
After crash-landing on what seems like an unfamiliar world, they discover a civilisation where intelligent, talking apes rule while humans are reduced to mute, primitive beings who work for them as slaves.
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
The ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ features one of the most unsettling alien victories. Extraterrestrial organisms arrive in San Francisco disguised as mysterious flower-like pods, quietly replacing sleeping humans with duplicates that are devoid of any emotion, while the originals disintegrate.
As the invasion spreads, Dr Matthew Bennell desperately fights to stay awake and warn others, knowing that sleep means losing his identity forever to the aliens’ silent but methodical takeover.
1. The Thing (1982)
Even one of the best sci-fi films of all time had to have one of the most terrifying examples of the aliens winning. Set in an isolated Antarctic research station, the story follows a shape-shifting extraterrestrial that can perfectly imitate its victims.
As paranoia consumes the group of researchers, no one can be trusted to be human. The alien uses its brilliant strategy to completely infiltrate its way to victory in this chilling sci-fi masterpiece.
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