The Best Alien Movies You Can Stream Right Now

scientific discipline fiction has long been an arena for creative minds to wonder what the future hold – and more specifically , if we , as humans , are the only be organism floating around this vast arras we call the universe . As we enter an agewhere vacation to Marscould soon be a realness , many of the questions sci - fi poses might soon be answered : Is there other life out there ? If so , will our astronomic neighbors be peaceable ? How will we put across with them , and what , if anything , can we gain from one another ?

We in all probability have some time to keep speculate . AndArrival , which hits theaters this weekend , does so in elegant fashion , showcasing a mystical race of extraterrestrial with mystic priorities . To get you in the mood for Denis Villeneuve’sawe - urge on language - breaching , mind - bender– as well as the near hereafter – we ’ve catalogued a variety of our pet alien movies below , all of which you may stream right now .

The Thing(1982)

When John Carpenter and Bill Lancaster take a crack at adapting John W. Campbell Jr. ’s novellaWho Goes There ? , they churned out a seriously disgusting vulgar - out horror . The movie , which severalize the narration of an exotic military unit that assimilates other organisms at an Antarctic inquiry station , comes littered with pop eyeballs , splitting head , burst chests , and other gag - desirable body brutality . It ’s not the kind of classic you watch if you ’re concerned in a nuanced lead ( here , Kurt Russell ) or complex character relationships . But it ’s not bad in other room : The Thingboasts solid leap - scares , rush - ass makeup core ( outcry - out toRob Bottin , whose work you should have sex fromGame of Thrones ) , and a spellbinding sense of anxiety . Stream on : crepitate

Cloverfield(2008)

A friendly going - away party twist into a doomsday disaster in Matt Reeves ' unrelentingly tense , gaudy , shaky monster movie , when an alien giant play havoc on Midtown Manhattan . gratefully , a very young T.J. Miller , inappropriate quips in tow , opt to shoot all the volatile carnage , found - footage style . The conceit neglect you in the middle of the drama , alongside several ugly wanderer - look motherfuckers . flow on : Hulu , Amazon Prime

Predator(1987)

There ’s something otherworldly about Arnold Schwarzenegger . With his enormous frame , unwavering confidence , and off - put charm , he often seems less than human . So it make sentience that his most worthy opposition came from outer space . InPredator –one of our 33 best activity movie picks of all time– Schwarzenegger ’s Dutch leads a six - man team to rescue hostages , and they chop-chop find themselves facing off against an invisibility cloak - wearing alien with a scary mouth . Director John McTiernan , the capital unsung hero of action celluloid , films the butch showdown with a clear - eyed , tactile approach that keep even the more ridiculous factor grounded in clay , sweat , and celebratory cigar pot . Stream on : STARZ

The Faculty(1998)

Robert Rodriguez ’s teeny - bopper update ofInvasion of the Body Snatchersis perfect late - dark cablegram trash . Like the similarly cheekyPlanet Terror , the picture is n’t meant to be taken too seriously – the mien of a goateed pre - day-to-day ShowJon Stewart as a scientific discipline teacher should in all probability tip off you off – but it delivers solid scare down the reaching ; plus , the cunning script fromScreamscribe Kevin Williamson has more than enough winding to keep you from nod off . Throw it on after a night out and soak up the late-’90s nostalgia . watercourse on : Amazon Prime

Contact(1997)

Independence Day(1996)

living offers few pleasure as pure as watching Will Smith punch an unknown in the case and say , " Welcome to Earth . " WhileIndependence Dayis not a dandy motion-picture show – and , according tomost brushup , its recent subsequence was legitimately awful – it does have a series of great mo held together by sticky blockbuster cheese . There ’s the dolphin nuptials gang Smith buys for Vivica A. Fox ’s stemmer with a heart of gold , the still - startling White House explosion , Bill Pullman ’s stirring presidential voice communication , and , of class , Randy Quaid yell , " Hello boys , I ’m back , " as he hurls his hero jet into a giant green beam to save manhood . It ’s not perfect , but it is perfectly dazed . Stream on : HBO

Galaxy Quest(1999)

Parodying nerd culture can be slippery – just ask the guys who madeFanboys– but when done correctly , the final result can be divine . This witty comedy about the cast of aStar Trek - like fad television show that gets carry to a " real " exotic planet is the perfect combining of warm , get it on tribute and breezy , ribbing satire . execution from a secret plan Tim Allen , Tony Shalhoub , Sigourney Weaver , and the belated Alan Rickman , as the stamp ’s perpetually typecast Spock stand - in Alexander Dane , all aid bring a sharp script to vibrant life . By Grabthar ’s hammer , please swarm this movie . flow on : Netflix

District 9(2009)

Neill Blomkamp ’s first feature effort put a cerebration - provoking twist on the thought of an encroachment by essentially enslave a wash of prawn - alike visitor and forcing them to live in South African slum area . Sharlto Copley stars as a political science worker who , when tasked with relocate the downtrodden ETs , has an accident that changes both his worldview and his destiny . The picture show ’s strength are its historical parallel , nerveless - as - hell gadgetry , and moral centre – the last of which will leave behind you wondering , Should we fear noncitizen , or should they venerate us?Stream on : FXNOW

Fire in the Sky(1993)

It ’s heavy not to prejudiceFire in the Skybased on its nonfiction seed material . But it ’s not as if queuing up the movie adaptation ofTravis Walton ’s alien - abduction account makes you a truster . And you ’ll at least be treated to a pair of superlative merits . One would be the film ’s money shot : a ridiculous , yet prevailingly horrifying , visual image of Walton ’s alleged timeaboard the opine starship , double-dyed with fade , dig into , suffocating , and supremely creepy ETs . The other is D.B. Sweeney ’s bid turn as a casing - shocked small - town boy fitting back into the life he leave behind while getting ritually rack . As true - life narrative , it ’s preposterous . As an easy analogue to myriad post - trauma " coming home " flicks , it vibrate . And for devotee of medium - budget curiosity that do n’t quite satisfy mainstream gustatory perception or cult obsession , it ’s a hide gem . Stream on : Netflix

They Live(1988)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers(1978)

When mysterious cum invade Earth and start rapidly replacing humans with emotionless clones , health inspector Matthew Bennell ( Donald Sutherland ) decides to enquire . Philip Kaufman ’s remake of the 1956 Graeco-Roman moves Jack Finney ’s original story to San Francisco , impart about a half - hr of runtime , and features a very unseasoned and cranky Jeff Goldblum . The movie plays as a gripping dead - eyed thriller , steep with palpable paranoia and unexpected rush of humor . Stream on : Hulu

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