UFO movies: Here are 15 of the best ever

Alien invasion movies don’t always send us into orbit, but there are more than a few we consider to be out of this world.

And the thing about UFO films is, even when they are bad, they can be a total blast.

For every extraordinary classic such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” there’s a ridiculously bad, hilariously-gone-wrong production such as  “Plan 9 From Outer Space.” Both entertain, although in very different ways.

Then there’s Tim Burton’s “Mars Attacks!,” which was inspired by a Topps trading card series and fondly channeled the inadvertent campiness of “Plan 9.”

Our endless fascination with whether there’s intelligent life out in the cosmos — and whether it’s benign or belligerent toward us humble earthlings — doesn’t seem to be on the wane either. The topic continues to pop, captivating the public, fueling numerous cover-up theories, and serving as a mostly foolproof draw for moviegoers, as it has for decades.

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It’s also a favorite subject of one of our all-time greatest filmmakers — Steven Spielberg.

The iconic director set out on his first alien adventure in 1977 with “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” a monster hit that made mashed potatoes out of its competition.

Spielberg’s back and playing around in that sandbox again with “Disclosure Day,” his fourth UFO/alien feature. (Note: The acronym UFO has been shoved aside and replaced with UAP – Unidentified Anomalous/Aerial Phenomena. We’ll use both just to confuse you.)

Spielberg’s latest foray into alien matters stars Josh O’Connor as a rogue military security expert uncovering intel about the government’s suppression of alien interactions with Earth. Emily Blunt co-stars as a TV weather reporter who gets drawn into the action.

It opens June 12 in theaters.

“Disclosure Day” joins a robust collection of films about UFOs, or UAPs, and ensuing encounters of both the sweet and cruel kind. In the spirit of its release, we’ve hit upon 15 of our favorite earthbound UFO/alien movies (we had many more worth considering but we had to cut it off somewhere.) If we missed one of your faves, drop us a line and let us know.

Here’s our roundup.

“Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977): Spielberg followed up his 1975 summer blockbuster “Jaws” with this, another box-office knockout. Richard Dreyfuss stars as an Indiana electric lineman/dad who gets discombobulated after a light from a passing UFO compels him to do weirdo things — like build a mountain replica inside of his home. Even though the special effects seem a tad dated, the spell this film weaves remains unbroken. You’ll never look at a pile of mashed potatoes the same way again.

“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951): Before he turned the Austrian hills alive with “The Sound of Music,” director Robert Wise urged America to chill the heck out via this Cold War pacifist parable in which a spacecraft ponies up near the White House and creates all sorts of chaos, even though the aliens inside have come in peace. The messaging was by no means subtle, but it was effective. Forget 2008’s anemic snoozer of a remake from Scott Derrickson, starring Keanu Reeves.

“Arrival”: A failure to communicate with aliens in 12 spacecraft leads the Army to tap language expert Louise Banks (Amy Adams), still grieving a loss, to become a bridge and interpreter to Earth’s visitor. Costarring Jeremy Renner, Denis (“Dune”) Villeneuve’s moving, ambitious sci-fi feature is a visual, sensory dazzler and introduces us to not only a pack of intriguing but non-threatening otherworldly visitors bit a morally complex scenario and another Oscar worthy turn from Adams.

“E.T. the Extraterrestrial” (1982): Spielberg’s timeless classic remains one of the best family films ever made. A Reese’s-Pieces-loving extraterrestrial warms his way into the hearts of a SoCal family — after initially freaking them out. Henry Thomas stars as wide-eyed Elliott who finds ET and tries to save him  since boo! hiss!  government agents want to poke and prod and study the little fella like a lab rat. There’s so much to admire about this lovely film, from the flying bike riding scene to that catchphrase everyone was overusing back in the day: “E.T.: Phone Home.”

“Under the Skin” (2013): If you prefer alien encounters that are surreal, baffling, twisted and quite sexy, look no further than this hypnotic mind-messer from Oscar winner Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”). A word of advice, though, for those hopelessly devoted  to straightforward storytelling: Run, run, run far away from this one since it takes you down some bizarro lanes. An often nude Scarlett Johansson traipses about Scotland and preys upon men with active libidos. As the title states, this one gets under your skin and features a committed, luminous performance from Johansson.

“War of the Worlds” (2005): Spielberg and Tom Cruise teamed up for a scary but flawed (the third act utterly collapses) version of the oft-told H.G. Wells’ and Orson Welles’ classic wherein cranky-pants aliens in spacecrafts pummel Earth and strike fear into the hearts of all mankind. While the 1953 film is undeniably cheesy, director Byron Haskin’s exclamatory take is utterly charming and irresistible. Its miniature models akin to childhood train sets won us over. It serves up a hefty scoop of dated special effects and nostalgic filmmaking, in just under 90 minutes. But do avoid the 2025 inept and disastrous update. Terrible.

“They Live” (1988): A pair of mysterious dark sunglasses reveal a creepy world in horror czar John Carpenter’s delightfully paranoid 1988 thriller. Wrestler Roddy Piper went off the mat for his first major acting gig as a Los Angeles guy who picks up those shades and gets eyefuls of aliens amongst him — all of whom hold the real power in our corrupt world. The sharp social/political commentary remains as topical as ever.

“The Vast of Night” (2019): Expect goosebumps aplenty while watching this terrific PG-13 throwback to old-school alien thrillers. Director Andrew Patterson’s suspenseful debut keeps you on the edge of your seat as two smalltown 1950s New Mexico teens — one a switchboard operator, the other a DJ — tune into something that’s out there and trying to communicate. Cue the creepy music. Is it a friendly message? Or is it something else? Patterson’s crafts a moody atmosphere that will mesmerize you.

“Super 8” (2011): A tight-knit group of movie-worshipping Ohio teens (one played by Elle Fanning) start the cameras rolling for their DIY horror movie only to run into a clear and present danger along with governmental secrets when a train derails and a critter from wreaks havoc around their neighborhood. J.J. Abrams’ love for filmmaking and those movies that inspired him – including “The Goonies” – is evident in every frame of this keeper.

“Nope” (2022): Jordan Peele’s cipher-like sci-fi alien feature seems like it’s scurrying off into tangents (the homicidal monkey segue still gives us nightmares) but it all ties together in the wacko end. If it doesn’t watch it again. Peele’s third feature bends genre rules (a big yes to that!) as a California horse-training family made up of a brother (Daniel Kaluuya) and sister (Keke Palmer) spot something in the sky that could maybe help save their struggling business. Then again, it might just lead to a new pack of issues. Guess what happens?

“The Thing” (1982): John Carpenter’s 1982 claustrophobic classic hits the gross-out jackpot and abounds with body horror before that was even a thing.  A predatory alien thingie takes over all sorts of bodies, including a dog, and picks off a team of shivering Antarctica researchers. It holds up to this very day and gives you a real case of the heebie-jeebies. The original “The Thing from Another World” from 1951 might be dated, but it’s good too.

“Fire in the Sky” (1993): Goofy alien abduction movies make us laugh a lot. Not this one, a dead-serious and legit scary take of a purported true case. Director Robert Lieberman amps up the disturbing scares and emotions; an abduction scene is hard to forget. Robert Patrick and D. B. Sweeney co-star in this effective chiller.

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956, 1978): Several versions exist but I have two faves: Don Siegel’s 1956 version socks it to McCarthyism and mind control in a nightmarish premise author Jack Finney cooked up in 1955 about people getting turned into cold imposters, aka pod people. But it is Philip Kaufman’s 1978 San Francisco-set adaptation that still haunts my dreams, particularly that shocking closing scene — one that, as I type, still sends a chill down my spine. What a cast too: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, an unforgettable Veronica Cartwright and Leonard Nimoy.

“The Endless” (2017): Two brothers (co-director/screenwriter Justin Benson and co-director Aaron Moorhead) venture to the backwoods commune where they once lived for a bit as kids. One’s troubled and remembers it as being the huddling spot for a UFO cult, the other has a different take. No matter. They enter a weird dimension that feels, as the title indicates, endless. Although it’s been made it was made on a frugal budget, none of that diminishes the power and enjoyment of this original and inspired indie from a team that just keeps making one good genre film after another.

“Independence Day” (1996): Roland Emmerich’s dumb but fun disaster blockbuster finds dirty rotten invaders from space blowing up everything — including the White House — and it is that childish, go-for-broke annihilation mentality that makes it a popcorn movie you can’t help but love. Bill Pullman’s the prez and “Battlestar Galactica’s” Mary McDonnell’s the first lady but it’s Will Smith (who tangled with aliens in 1997’s “Men in Black,” another good watch) as a Marine pilot who we remember most, along with Randy Quaid’s wacko but memorable character.

“District 9” (2009): Neill Blomkamp made a big splash with this audacious 2009 South African-set alien invasion storyline dusted with social and political commentary. In it, ostracized, bullied aliens turned refugees — dubbed Prawns — get wedged into a small, downtrodden designated region and are on the verge of being bounced over to labor camps. An insurrection, of sorts, is brewing. “District 9” takes a documentary-like approach to its storytelling that lends it an authentic feel and enhances its impact.

Contact Randy Myers at [email protected].