The 5 Greatest Alien Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

Since the earliest days of cinema, filmmakers have looked beyond Earth for stories about life among the stars. Humanity had spent centuries studying the night sky and imagining what might exist in the cosmos, so it was only natural for that fascination to find its way onto the screen. From “A Trip to the Moon” onward, alien movies have taken countless forms and adopted nearly every possible tone. Extraterrestrials can be gentle and welcoming, as in “E.T.,” or serve as reminders of how insignificant humanity may be within the vast universe, as in “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

The 57 best alien movies ever made demonstrate just how much creative range the genre offers—and how firmly extraterrestrial stories have become part of mainstream cinema. The 21st century has continued that tradition with plenty of memorable entries. Blockbusters such as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Avengers: Endgame” have generated enormous profits, but which modern alien films stand out for their artistic ambition? The five movies below, ranked from least great to greatest according to the author’s subjective opinion, make a strong case.

Each film succeeds on its own terms while reinforcing the enduring appeal of the unknown. No matter how much humanity learns about the universe, the mystery of alien life remains impossible to abandon.

John Krasinski went from waiting tables to becoming one of Time’s most influential people, though his early filmmaking career briefly appeared to be losing momentum. His 2016 independent drama “The Hollars” was widely criticized for clumsy storytelling and dated treatment of its female characters, despite featuring performers such as Margo Martindale, Anna Kendrick, and Richard Jenkins. It seemed possible that Krasinski’s directing ambitions had reached a dead end. Then, two years later, he tackled a horror screenplay by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck—later refining it himself—and completely changed the conversation around his work behind the camera.

The awkwardness of “The Hollars” was replaced by strikingly controlled filmmaking in “A Quiet Place,” which follows a family forced to live in near-total silence while audio-sensitive creatures overrun Earth. Krasinski and Emily Blunt portray Lee and Evelyn Abbott, but Millicent Simmonds delivers the film’s most affecting performance as their eldest daughter, Regan. Her work gives the story its emotional center and makes the family’s struggle feel deeply human.

Working with cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen, Krasinski builds suspense from the smallest sounds and expertly stages sequences in which the creatures lurk just feet away. The film’s carefully calibrated scares proved both effective and transformative, rescuing what had once seemed like a stalled directing career.

Amy Adams has long been more than a dependable leading actress. She is a remarkably versatile performer who can move effortlessly between musicals, intimate dramas, broad comedy, and demanding genre material. Her strongest roles have helped define 21st-century American cinema, and one of her finest performances came in Denis Villeneuve’s first major science-fiction film. Years before “Blade Runner 2049” and the “Dune” movies, Villeneuve made “Arrival,” released in November 2016.

Adams stars as Dr. Louise Banks, a linguistics professor recruited to communicate with mysterious extraterrestrials whose enormous craft have appeared above Earth. Whether the visitors are peaceful or hostile remains uncertain, and “Arrival” uses that tension to explore the foundations of language, understanding, and human cooperation. Known as Abbott and Costello, the aliens are imposing figures whose towering forms inspire awe as readily as fear. Crucially, the film allows communication to develop slowly rather than treating translation as an easy plot device, giving the story greater realism and its characters added depth.

Villeneuve’s talent for creating images of enormous scale turns the contrast between alien vessels and familiar earthly landscapes into a source of constant wonder. Yet the film’s most unforgettable element is still Adams, whose restrained and emotionally powerful performance anchors the entire experience.

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Jordan Peele’s decision to avoid franchise filmmaking has benefited both his career and the wider movie landscape. Each of his three features has pursued its own ideas without the burden of existing mythology, fan-service requirements, or sequel setup. “Get Out” and “Us” were free to follow their distinctive creative instincts, while Peele also used each film to investigate a different corner of horror. With 2022’s “Nope,” he turned his attention toward an unforgettable blend of science fiction, spectacle, and dread.

The many details woven into “Nope” reflect Peele’s unusually layered approach to filmmaking. Alongside its thrills, the movie examines spectacle, exploitation, and the ways people behave when confronted with the impossible. Its central alien presence, nicknamed Jean Jacket, is particularly memorable because it looks nothing like a conventional movie monster. In its final form, the creature is almost impossible to comprehend, resembling a nightmarish, Biblically accurate angel more than a familiar extraterrestrial. At a time when many screen aliens appear to be variations on the Xenomorph, Jean Jacket’s abstract and unsettling design feels genuinely original.

Just as Peele used doppelgängers and slasher conventions in “Us” to examine class division, “Nope” turns alien horror into a story about humanity’s destructive urge to dominate the uncontrollable. The result is another sharply observed and visually ambitious work from one of contemporary cinema’s most distinctive filmmakers.

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, “Project Hail Mary,” adapted from Andy Weir’s novel, succeeds in several different ways. Its greatest delight, however, may be Rocky, the alien brought to life through puppetry and voiced by James Ortiz. The filmmakers commit fully to the creature’s unusual design from the book, giving Rocky no recognizable face or mouth. That creative choice is daring, yet it never prevents him from becoming an expressive, fascinating, and deeply lovable character.

Ortiz’s vocal performance and impeccable comic timing make Rocky an irresistible scene-stealer. His distinctive behavior and visual presence give real warmth to the growing friendship between astronaut Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, and his alien companion. First-contact stories have often followed humans and extraterrestrials as they move from suspicion to companionship, but “Project Hail Mary” feels unusually fresh because Rocky is such a fully realized creation. Few cinematic aliens have inspired a bond this soulful or emotionally affecting.

With its impressive visuals and Daniel Pemberton’s sweeping score adding to the experience, “Project Hail Mary” offers an especially rich adventure for fans of alien cinema. Rocky’s charm is so powerful that it is almost surprising this extraordinary journey does not occupy the top spot on the list.

It’s hard to describe your emotions after watching “Under the Skin.” In that sense, this Jonathan Glazer directorial effort is an outstanding approximation of an encounter with an otherworldly organism. It leaves viewers unsure of what to do, what to say, or even what they’re looking at. One of the very best Scarlett Johansson movies, she plays a character known only as Woman, an alien that’s taken on the physical form of a human lady. In her time on this planet, she lures men into a black void, where they’re trapped and used for her own purpose. She’s clinical, aloof, and uncaring even to the screams of babies or innocent bystanders.

Why would she respond? She’s not of this Earth, she doesn’t understand human-based ways of communicating pain or needing help. Johansson’s fascinatingly streamlined performance exudes (in a fittingly understated manner) this reality, while also being equally compelling depicting a Woman growing increasingly intrigued by her body. “Under the Skin” won’t work for everyone, but its outstandingly realized form, evocative aesthetic, and willingness to eschew so many standards of mainstream narrative cinema are laudable. It comes together in something as precisely realized as it is atmospherically unforgettable. 

Like its alien wandering among a gaggle of humans, “Under the Skin” immediately stands apart from typical examples of modern English-language cinema. The film is all the better for it, especially since its unique virtues ensure it’s the peak of 21st century alien movies.