Are we the only intelligent life forms in the cosmos? This question remains one of the great mysteries of our time. If extraterrestrial life exists, what would they make of humanity, and how might they act upon arriving here? Cinema provides a wealth of interpretations, often suggesting that if aliens were to visit Earth, their intentions would be far from friendly. This has given rise to a distinct genre of alien invasion films, spanning almost every film category imaginable.

Whether you’re drawn to horror, disaster, comedy, science fiction, or action, each genre offers its own take on alien invasions. This curated list highlights movies where extraterrestrials land on Earth with plans to conquer, are in the midst of an invasion, or have already claimed victory. We focused on films set on our planet, showcasing the tension and drama of alien encounters here at home.

The disaster film genre sees periodic revivals, and “Independence Day” sparked one of these in the mid-1990s. Combining elements of both disaster and alien invasion, the film begins with an enormous alien mothership positioning itself near the moon. Smaller craft then descend ominously over major global cities, causing widespread panic. As the story unfolds, a chilling discovery is made: these alien vessels are poised to obliterate the cities they hover over.

The disaster movie genre tends to see a resurgence every decade or so, and “Independence Day” kicked off one such resurgence in the mid-1990s. It’s one part disaster movie, one part alien invasion movie. When an alien mothership parks near the moon and sends smaller ships to hover ominously over some of the biggest cities on Earth, people are understandably unsettled. Some investigating and code deciphering uncovers the horrible truth — each of those smaller ships plans to decimate their respective locations.

When the first stage of this alien invasion is complete, the mothership sends an army to finish the job, with the intention of wiping out any resistance put up by what’s left of the Earth’s population. Yes, the plot is kind of goofy, and the virus plan at the heart of “Independence Day” makes no sense when you scrutinize it too closely. But this is still one of the best examples of how thrilling and fun an alien invasion can be on the big screen, and why it works so well in a disaster film setting.

Cast: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum

Director: Roland Emmerich

Release year: 1996

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 145 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV

The 1950s saw a number of pioneering alien invasion classics, some of which have managed to hold up remarkably well. Such is the case with “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” which, despite its age, is every bit the paranoia-fueled sci-fi thriller masterpiece it was when it was first released. Aliens have gradually been replacing human beings by turning them into pod people, nearly perfect replicas of humans. However, there is one crucial difference — they are unable to replicate human emotion.

This lack of emotion seems like an easy enough way to pick out the imposters, right? Yes, but that’s not the real issue. The problem is, as their numbers grow, hiding from the aliens becomes a greater act of self preservation than exposing them. The actual humans who remain are forced to pretend that they too lack emotion in order to blend in, while having to somehow carefully figure out which others are secret humans and which are actually pod people — and making the wrong choice has terrible consequences.

Cast: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates

Director: Don Siegel

Release year: 1956

Rating: Approved (Hays Code)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

Where to watch: The Roku Channel

While the latest film in the “Cloverfield” franchise (2022’s “The Cloverfield Paradox”) is a muddled mess of a film, the original remains a found footage monster movie gem. Before found footage was an overdone trope in horror movies, “Cloverfield” felt like an inventive endeavor which told its entire story through a single video camera. What is initially someone filming a birthday party soon becomes a documentary following a group of young adults who are trying to stay alive as a mostly-unseen monster ravages New York City.

What’s interesting is that you don’t actually know the monster in “Cloverfield” is an alien until the very end of the movie, and even then, that reveal requires you to really be paying attention. Still, “Cloverfield” absolutely belongs on this list. It’s a great alien invasion movie and a great horror movie rolled into one — and it still has some of the biggest jump scares in a found footage movie to this day.

Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller

Director: Matt Reeves

Release year: 2008

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 85 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

Where to watch: Kanopy, Hoopla

“Attack the Block” is often included in discussions about the best sci-fi movies of all time, and rightfully so. The film debut of future “Star Wars” sequel trilogy actor John Boyega, it’s about a street gang of South London teenagers who find themselves the unlikely last line of defense between Earth and a dangerous band of alien invaders. Fans of “Shaun of the Dead” will certainly get a kick out of the film’s distinct blend of dry British humor with legitimately engaging horror action.

Unfortunately, “Attack the Block” flopped when it came to cineplexes in the United States, despite earning stellar reviews across the board — The Hollywood Reporter called it “An infectiously larky extraterrestrial invasion movie that respects the genre conventions while spicing the brew with distinctive local flavor.” Over time, “Attack the Block” gained the audience it deserved, becoming a cult favorite. For Boyega, the part of Moses was a chance to show what he could do. “I think what appealed to me about playing the role was the element of silence and the fact I was stretching myself to be able to play along mentally,” he told Indie London.

Cast: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail

Director: Joe Cornish

Release year: 2011

Rating: R

Runtime: 88 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV

Another of the first batch of invasion movies that remains among the best is 1951’s “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” Based on a short story called “Farewell to the Master” that was published in pioneering sci-fi publication Science Fiction Magazine, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” not only has roots in early alien invasion movies but early science fiction as a whole. In fact, the phrase “We come in peace” actually originates from this very movie.

The aliens in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” truly did come in peace, but were met with violence by the mistrustful humans that first encountered them. It was only in responding to that violence that the aliens then started a violent war with Earth. It only gets worse from there for humankind, as the aliens subsequently spread the message to other inhabited planets that Earth is violent, can’t be trusted, and must be stopped. While “humans were the villains all along” is a common sci-fi trope, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is one of the first movies to ever tread that ground. 

Cast: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe

Director: Robert Wise

Release year: 1951

Rating: G

Runtime: 92 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Where to watch: Hoopla

“Men in Black” was Will Smith’s second alien invasion movie in two years, this one even more fun and with a much more interesting twist. Earth is constantly being threatened with invasion by beings from other planets, but it’s the titular secret government organization that keeps the invaders at bay and Earthlings blissfully unaware. Of course, much of why “Men in Black” works so well is Smith’s excellent chemistry with co-star Tommy Lee Jones. They play Agent J and Agent K, respectively, two MiB field agents who spend their days making sure that the aliens that secretly live among us are following the rules and staying out of trouble.

When the duo come upon an alien trying to flee Earth with his new extraterrestrial baby without going through the proper channels, it makes the agents suspicious that there is a great danger coming. Enter actor Vincent D’Onofrio’s wonderfully unhinged performance as Edgar, a giant cockroach alien disguised as a human who finds himself increasingly struggling at maintaining that illusion. Edgar is planning to lead an all-out invasion of our planet unless J and K can stop him in time.

Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Release year: 1997

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 98 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Where to watch: Peacock

Tom Cruise’s “Edge of Tomorrow” was far from a major success at the box office, which is surprising, because it’s one of the A-lister’s best-ever movies. Taking the idea of a sci-fi action flick about an alien invasion and injecting a bit of “Groundhog Day” into the proceedings, it’s a unique and highly enjoyable movie. It’s about the formation of something called the United Defense Force (UDF) following a five year battle against an ever-expanding alien force.

Desk jockey Major William Cage (Cruise) is put in charge of a major offensive in the war, but he weasels out of his assignment, is arrested, and is subsequently demoted. However, he ends up committing a heroic sacrifice wherein he uses an explosive to kill one of the aliens’ most powerful soldiers. At least, he thought it was a sacrifice — he wakes up to find that he’s been reset to the morning of the previous day. We won’t spoil anything beyond that, but everything you’ve heard about “Edge of Tomorrow” being an overlooked gem is 100% true.

Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton

Director: Doug Liman

Release year: 2014

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 113 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV

People tend to automatically pit originals against remakes, with the thinking that there can only be one definitive entry. That is certainly true for some originals and their remakes, but not so for “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Both the 1956 original and the 1978 remake are among the best sci-fi films of all time. Unfortunately, Hollywood tends to keep mining properties until they fail — “Body Snatchers” dropped in 1993, and yet another remake called “The Invasion” came out in 2007, with the latter being one of the worst movie remakes of all time.

As for the 1978 film, the basic premise is more or less the same as the original: The pod people have replaced humans with emotionless clones. As for why the remake ranks higher on our list, the surface level reasons — more modern filmmaking techniques, better special effects — of course play a part. But further differences also lead to a more compelling, a more relatable, and a much more scary end product. 

The original’s small fictional town setting is now the whole of San Francisco, which indicates an invasion that has already spread much further. Adding existential dread to the paranoia mix also makes the whole thing feel much bleaker and more unsettling. Last but not least is that gut-punch ending, which won’t be spoiled here but is far bleaker than the original’s optimistic conclusion.

Cast: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy

Director: Philip Kaufman

Release year: 1978

Rating: PG

Runtime: 115 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Where to watch: Kanopy

Where “The World’s End” falls in the ranking of Edgar Wright’s Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy depends on your favorite genre. If you’re a horror fan, you probably put “Shaun of the Dead” first. Action fans say “Hot Fuzz” is the best. But if you’re reading this list, you’re probably more of a sci-fi person and likely prefer “The World’s End,” an alien invasion comedy that tackles some serious themes. Simon Pegg stars as Gary King, an alcoholic man child who pushes his old friends to their limits when he lies to get them back together for a pub crawl. Along the way, they discover that aliens are posing as humans as part of a ploy to have Earth join the ranks of an intergalactic community.

The genius of Wright’s trilogy is that each of the movies is simultaneously a parody of and love letter to the genre being addressed. And so it goes with “The World’s End,” which pulls off the impressive trick of being one of the greatest alien invasion movies of all time while also quite successfully skewering many of the tropes and clichés of the subgenre. Pegg is fantastic as the immature but complicated protagonist, and it’s great to see his regular collaborator Nick Frost play the straight role for once, providing the perfect foil for Pegg while also proving that he has some serious acting chops.

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine

Director: Edgar Wright

Release year: 2013

Rating: R

Runtime: 109 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV

Aliens in the alien invasion subgenre are often given a gimmick to make them stand out from a very crowded pack. Sometimes a new angle is introduced that completely reinvents the very idea of what a movie alien is. John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place” introduced blind aliens that only react to sound, viciously killing anything they hear making a noise. They could’ve easily descended into cheap gimmickry, but they help make “A Quiet Place” one of the most gripping movies in years — of any genre.

Lee Abbott (Krasinski) is saddled with the unfortunate task of trying to be the best husband and father he can be in the absolute direst of circumstances. The fact that his 15-year-old daughter Regan is deaf gives the family something of a head start in navigating a soundless world, as they know how to communicate via sign language, but with three children in total (Regan has two younger brothers: Noah, who is 12 years old, and Beau, who is just four) it’s an uphill battle to stay alive. “A Quiet Place” is equal parts heartbreaking and terrifying.

Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds

Director: John Krasinski

Release year: 2018

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 90 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV

What if the aliens had not only invaded already, but it happened without you even knowing it? This is the premise of John Carpenter’s sci-fi horror masterpiece “They Live.” When a drifter known as Nada (Roddy Piper) comes into town looking for work and a place to stay, he befriends construction worker Frank (Keith David) and sets up at the shantytown where Frank also lives. It’s situated next to an ominous church that seems to be a front for something. Upon investigating, Nada finds out about the hackers that have set up shop in the church’s basement.

The hackers tell Nada that aliens have integrated themselves into society, disguised as everyday humans. The aliens have put subliminal messages on things like billboards and magazine covers in an attempt to turn humans into compliant consumer zombies. Nada discovers a pair of special sunglasses that reveal these hidden messages — things “Obey,” “Conform,” and “Consume” — and show the aliens in their true form. When he reacts the way one would react when they put on sunglasses and see humans turn into freakish alien beings, the aliens begin targeting him. It’s a scathing critique of capitalism and media manipulation that feels just as — if not more — relevant today.

Cast: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster

Director: John Carpenter

Release year: 1988

Rating: R

Runtime: 94 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV

The landmark 1898 H.G. Wells novel “The War of the Worlds” is largely responsible for setting the template for not only alien stories, but 20th century science fiction in general. The first film adaptation, released in 1953, remains the greatest alien invasion film of all time. It’s the tale of a war between Earth and Mars, with the latter planet’s inhabitants boasting far superior tech. Mars is dying, and, having determined that no other planet in the solar system can sustain them, the Martians set their sights on Earth.

We follow the invasion through the eyes of nuclear physicist Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry). He happens to be on vacation in California when a meteor lands near the small town of Linda Rosa. Of course, as he suspects, it’s not a meteor at all, but a vessel containing hostile Martian aliens. It’s a plot that’s been imitated and tweaked in the decades since, though 1953’s “The War of the Worlds” has never been topped in terms of impact. Yes, there are alien invasion movies that are technically better, but nothing has come along since that has completely shaken science fiction on the big screen in the same way. That’s why it’s the best alien invasion film of all time and probably always will be.

Cast: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne

Director: Byron Haskin

Release year: 1953

Rating: G

Runtime: 85 minutes

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy on Amazon and Apple TV