For as long as the human race has been looking to the skies, questions have been asked about our existence. Are we truly alone in the universe or are there other lifeforms out there, perhaps attempting to make contact? And if there are other lifeforms, would they come in peace or would they have hostile intentions?
These are questions we have pondered for decades, but if we look to movies, Hollywood has provided many answers in the shape of a large collection of big budget blockbusters and epic sci-fi movies. Some of these movies feature friendly aliens and safe encounters, while others depict end-of-the-world scenarios, with the human race facing its darkest hour.
Want to check some of them out? Then take a look at the suggestions below for all the best first contact and alien invasion stories you could ever wish for.
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War of the Worlds (2005)
First up is Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi action thriller, War of the Worlds. Based on H. G. Wells’ 1898 novel, The War of the Worlds, the film depicts a full-scale alien invasion and its devastating consequences.
Tom Cruise takes the lead in the picture, playing a dock worker who does his best to keep his estranged children safe during the invasion. Plenty of explosions and scenes of spectacle follow, as Cruise battles aliens and humanity does its best to cling on for dear life.
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Sticking with Spielberg for this next movie, 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A different change of pace for this one, which focuses on a collection of every-day folk who have a brush with unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
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Contact (1997)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Contact is a sci-fi drama, about a scientist who believes she has acquired evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, and James Wood star in this engrossing drama.
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Independence Day (1996)
When it comes to alien invasions they don’t come much bigger than the one depicted in sci-fi action film, Independence Day, which is set over a period of three days. On July 2nd an alien ship enters Earth’s orbit, on July 3rd the world is under attack, and on July 4th humanity fights back.
Roland Emmerich directs, while the cast includes Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum. Oh, and this one is truly EPIC!
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Mars Attacks! (1996)
Yet more invasion antics via Mars Attacks! – Tim Burton’s sci-fi black comedy about the destructive arrival of Martians. Based on a popular series of trading cards, and filled to the brim with star names (Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Danny Devito, etc), Mars Attacks! is a lavish and gruesome sci-fi romp where aliens are pure evil.
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Fire in the Sky (1993)
Directed by Robert Lieberman, and set in 1975, Fire in the Sky is a sci-fi horror-drama about a group of loggers who witness a UFO in northern Arizona. One of the loggers disappears, but when he resurfaces he claims to have been abducted by extra-terrestrials.
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Men in Black (1997)
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones take the lead in this sci-fi action comedy from director Barry Sonnenfeld. Loosely based on a comic book by Lowell Cunnigham, Men in Black tells the story of a secret organisation which monitors extra-terrestrial life on Earth and does its best to keep it under wraps.
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Based on Jack Finney’s 1954 novel, The Body Snatchers, this sci-fi horror revolves around a health inspector and his colleague who uncover a sinister plot to replace humans with alien duplicates. Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, and Veronica Cartwright star in this tense paranoid picture.
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Back to Steven Spielberg for the iconic sci-fi fantasy film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Starring Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Henry Thomas, the movie follows the story of a young boy who befriends an extra-terrestrial stranded on Earth.
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Disclosure Day (2026)
Another Spielberg movie, and this time one focusing on a massive government conspiracy regarding the existence of alien life. Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo star.
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The Faculty (1998)
Robert Rodriguez calls the shots in this sci-fi horror about a group of high school students who start to suspect their teachers have been replaced by extra-terrestrials. Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, and Jordana Brewster star.
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Alien (1979)
More sci-fi horror in the shape of one of the greatest movies of all time, Ridley Scott’s terrifying sci-fi film, Alien. The movie – starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, and Ian Holm – revolves around around a commercial star-ship crew who encounter a deadly alien lifeform while on a seemingly routine mission.
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Aliens (1986)
James Cameron takes on directing duties for this next instalment in the Alien saga – 1986’s sci-fi action-horror, Aliens. Lone survivor of the previous encounter with a Xenomorph, Ellen Ripley, finds herself up against a whole colony of aliens in a fight for survival.
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The X-Files (1998)
Conceived as a spin-off from the popular sci-fi show of the same name, The X-Files movie from director Rob Bowman, sees Agents Mulder and Scully attempting to uncover the truth about the existence of aliens. But can they finally expose the truth or will a greater government conspiracy win out?
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Arrival (2016)
Director Denis Villeneuve delivers this next sci-fi drama, which in turn is based on Ted Chiang’s novella, Story of Your Life. The movie follows a linguist, played by Amy Adams, who is brought in by the US Army to communicate with extra-terrestrials who have arrived on Earth.
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Man of Steel (2013)
In Zack Snyder’s comic book movie, Man of Steel, Earth faces a dark hour as General Zod threatens humanity with destruction. The planet’s only hope resides in a Kryptonian hero in a cape.
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Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
No list of alien encounter movies would be worth anything without at least one entry from the Star Trek universe, and the top choice for this list is Star Trek: First Contact. Directed by Jonathan Frakes, the film sees the crew of the USS Enterprise-E travel back in time to stop the alien race known as the Borg from conquering Earth.
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Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Doug Liman directs this next picture – the sci-fi action film, Edge of Tomorrow (aka Live. Die. Repeat). The movie follows the story of a public relations officer who gets caught up in a time loop during an alien occupation of Earth.
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Signs (2002)
And finally, in M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi horror, Signs, a priest and his family get caught up in the middle of an alien invasion, initially signalled by a series of crop circles appearing in a cornfield. Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix star.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about close encounters and alien invasions. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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