[Editorial] Top 15 Aliens in Sci-Fi & Horror Films

Warning: May contain spoilers for the films listed

Horror fans are often asked if they believe in what frightens them. If it’s something supernatural or monstrous I’m sure to say no (sorry ghosts, you aren’t real). I do, however, think that it would be incredibly egocentric to assume that we are the only intelligent life in the universe.  So, strap in folks, because the aliens have landed and they’re here to probe, eviscerate, procreate, and replace…

15. The Hidden Aliens from They Live (1988)

‘They’ look just like you and I, until you wear the monochrome sunglasses and stop absorbing the subliminal messages that they’ve been feeding us. John Carpenter’s They Live is a rip-roaring action battle against the hidden ‘they’, who are force feeding instructions to reproduce, consume and conform. Taking over positions of power have led the aliens to have ultimate control of the state, only rebelled against by the working class humans who are given the ability to finally see the strangers hidden amongst them. With its chaotic and hilarious storyline, John Carpenter once again delivered with his wild filmmaking. They Live also has one of the most quoted lines in film history (even though many people aren’t aware that it originates from They Live), “I have come here to chew bubble-gum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubble-gum”.

14. The Female from Under the Skin (2013)

Imagine being a man (ew) walking down the streets of Glasgow in the early 2010s. A van pulls up next to you, and the driver, who looks like the spitting image of Scarlett Johansson if she had dark hair, asks you if you would jump in and direct her somewhere. An early film from A24, Under the Skin is obscure but certainly worth a watch. Disguised as a human, The Female lures the unsuspecting men of Scotland to their doom as she submerges them into the dark abyss found within her dingy flat. The reveal of her true form and the brutally real ending are jarring and perfectly appropriate for this tale of an alien who surpasses her duties and starts to understand what it truly means to have human connection. 

13. The Extra-terrestrial Worms from Slither (2006)

James Gunn’s directorial debut, Slither tells the tale of a small American town overrun by alien parasites who infest people and turn them into mutants and monsters. This film is a gross delight, the special effects still hold their own today (to an extent), especially Michael Rooker’s final form as the tentacled head host Grant Grant, even if his name is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. With a surprisingly stellar cast, including Elizabeth Banks and Nathan Fillion, this film is good dumb disgusting fun.

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12. The Tripods from The War of the Worlds (1953 & 2005)

The original tale by H.G. Wells has seen many different reversions over the years, including radio productions, films, television shows, comics, and stage productions. Throughout the various renditions, one thing seems to stay true, these aliens are unstoppable, bringing destruction to Earth and the human race. That is, until they catch the common cold or are taken out by Earth’s various pathogens, bacteria, and viruses. The 2005 film version of The War of the Worlds starred action man Tom Cruise aka the guy who thinks he looks like he’s running faster as he pumps his arms back and forth really hard. Jokes aside, this version of the story delved deep into the horror and devastation that a non-human attack could have on the planet as the extra-terrestrials tore through landscapes, leaving death and destruction in their wake. 

11. The Parasites in The Faculty (1998)

There’s always a rumour at school that one of the teachers is an alien, a murderer, or simply up to something fishy. No one however can prepare you for what Herrington High School has in store. Starring a very young Elijah Wood, The Faculty is part high school drama, part sci-fi horror as a Breakfast Club-style group of students must discover what alien forces are taking over their school before they too are infested with the mesozoan parasites. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk till Dawn) and written by Kevin Williamson (Scream), The Faculty is another example of an under loved box office flop that has gained a cult following as people have slowly realised how great this film actually is. Plus, it also stars Usher, as in the singer of Yeah! because apparently, he was also an actor at some point in his career…

10. The Klowns of Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

As much as Killer Klowns from Outer Space is played for laughs, I find it terrifying. Clowns are creepy enough, but Klowns that are also aliens are even worse. Sorry Pennywise and Art, these clowns give me way more chills than you, possibly due to their bulbous, wrinkled, plastic appearance. If you haven’t checked out this classically campy 80s horror, I implore you to at least once… it’s big dumb fun but scarier than you think. The fright maze of this film at Universal’s Halloween Horror Night was equally a surprise in terms of terror, highly recommended if it ever returns to the event. 

9. The Shimmer from Annihilation (2018)

I understand that the Shimmer isn’t technically an alien, but I’m using it in this context as all the alien lifeforms within this film originate from it. The highlight of those lifeforms is the screaming bear creature, which almost made it onto my list of Best 15 Horror Films with Animals but was disqualified due to it being part bear, part human, part alien hybrid (and the fact that Cocaine Bear was already listed). With enough strange and peculiar mutated creatures to populate an entire new world, the Shimmer from Annihilation affects everyone in a different way, and I for one would not want to find out what the aliens had in store for me.

8. Predator from the Predator film franchise (1987 – 2022)

It’s big, it’s bad, and it won’t stop hunting you. This apex Predator flies through the universe hunting game and taking trophies as a rite of passage and sport. First facing off against Arnold Schwarzenegger on the big screen in 1987, this ruthless creature has returned time and again to hunt people down. When it’s not busy murdering humans, it likes to target its other enemy, the Xenomorph (who may yet make an appearance on this list). There are no current plans to continue the franchise, but after the success of prequel Prey (2022), who’s to say if the Predator will return to our screens in the future.

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7. Clover in the Cloverfield franchise (2008-present)

The head of the Statue of Liberty being thrown into the streets as a panicked crowd tries to find shelter from this Kaiju-esque terror sticks in my mind to this day. The first Cloverfield (2008), which was mentioned on my previous list of the Best 13 Found Footage Horror Films, reveals the terrifying scale of this alien monster, affectionately named Clover by the production team. The decimation, the effect on the humans under attack and the reasoning behind this invasion are explored further in the sequels 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) and The Cloverfield Paradox (2018), with another direct sequel promised in the future.

6. The Martians from Mars Attacks! (1996)

From the peculiar mind of Tim Burton, this hilarious yet alarming comedy shows what would happen if Martians landed on Earth, mistook a dove for a sign of aggression, and attempted to destroy all humans (or they landed with a mistranslated message of peace and had the intention to kill everyone in the first place, we shall never know). This film has possibly the most star-studded cast on this list, with Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jack Black, Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Michael J. Fox, Natalie Portman, and Sir Tom Jones to name but a few. The 90s CGI Martians are grotesque skeletal creatures with external brains that wreak havoc with burning lasers and unorthodox experiments and leave no breathing space between laughs and gasps once they land on Earth. A highly recommended watch for all lovers of the darkly ridiculous.

5. The Classic Green Men in Signs (2002)

First seen in a grainy home video featured on the news, these aliens take on the standard appearance described in many abduction stories across history. As a Shyamalan apologist (I will fight people on this, a lot of his films are better than he gets credit for) the aliens in Signs are scary for the majority of the film, until you get a good look at them. It may have been better to keep them elusive and in the background (like images of the Loch Ness Monster) rather than showing full shots of CGI that hasn’t held up well over the years… Regardless of this, Signs is a superbly suspenseful film that, like War of the Worlds, shows that aliens probably wouldn’t be able to survive on our planet due to its composition being so different to any others out there. This time, rather than viruses, the aliens are defeated by water. Considering that the planet’s surface is about 71% covered in the wet stuff, it was probably a bad idea for these extra-terrestrials to land here in the first place. 

4. Jean Jacket from Nope (2022)

A triumph once again for Jordan Peele, Nope has it all, animal attacks (justice for Gordy), ranchers, a fear of clouds, death by coin, and the ever changing form of alien which the audience and characters alike get scarily close to (the shots inside Jean Jacket’s digestive system are disturbing to say the least). Teaching audiences a lesson in respecting wild animals and not expecting them to perform for our entertainment, Nope cranks it up to eleven by using an extra-terrestrial example to truly drive the message home. I love Jean Jacket, but I also respect it and its all-consuming mouth void of dread. 

3. The Pod People from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 & 1978)

Yes, there are other versions of this story, no I will not be mentioning them because these two are simply the best. The 1956 version of this story has a particularly special place in my heart as it is the first horror / science fiction film I remember watching on a tiny 4:3 tv in my childhood bedroom, fascinated by the thought of not knowing if my neighbour was human or pod person. The 1978 remake brought audiences more thrills and chills, especially the closing scene with the iconic (screaming and pointing) Donald Sutherland. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is eery, suspenseful and thought provoking, inspiring many other stories, including a few on this list.

2. The Shapeshifting Thing from The Thing (1982, & 2011)

The Thing (1982) is one of the most iconic Science Fiction Horrors in history. There, I said it. With the constantly changing form it can blend in with its environment easily, leaving those who know it’s around to be suspicious of everyone. Based on the 1938 book Who Goes There, all versions of The Thing (including the 1951 version The Thing from Another World which isn’t included in this countdown as it is quite a different story) are set in remote arctic locations where even man struggles to survive. Once again using the fear of not knowing who is human and who is alien, The Thing, particularly the 1980s film, is an example of practical effects that still shock and delight today. A writhing dog-alien, they have it! A head with spider legs, it’s there! A chest cavity opening to reveal teeth which chomp down on a man’s arm, you bet! Just stick with Kurt Russell and pray you make it through the cold, dark night. 

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1. The Xenomorph from the Alien franchise (1979 – present)

Nowadays, if you ask a person to describe an alien, they will go with little green men with bug eyes or a Xenomorph. Because of this, Ridley Scott’s iconic monster simply couldn’t be anywhere apart from the top spot, particularly since I consider the original 1979 film to be the only ‘true horror’ on this list without any further genre grey areas. The terrifying jump scares make Alien a fantastic starter kit for Science Fiction fans who may want to dip their toe into the scarier pool of terror that we love so dearly here at Ghouls. The film series has also given us one of the best heroes in Sigourney Weaver’s character Ellen Ripley, a true badass who will stop at nothing to defeat the Xenomorphs. Throw in a couple of daft crossovers with Alien vs Predator and its equally bad sequel, the Xenomorphs have been franchised to death but are still well loved. So much so that it’s been confirmed another Alien film is on its way, directed by Fede Alvarez who brought horror fans the reboot of Evil Dead (2013) and the dividing Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) sequel.

Honorable Mentions

As usual, I can’t end my lists at just 15, so here’s some honourable mentions that didn’t quite fit in (or just missed the mark):

• All Aliens in The X-Files (1993 – 2018)
  Majority of this property is TV show so doesn’t make the list this time… but also there’s far too many aliens (or potential aliens) to account for in this long running, well loved series. 

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
  Yes they’re alien enough, no they’re not horrific enough. Just very, very sexy.

• The Quatermass Franchise (1955 – 2005)
  I’ve never seen it, don’t judge me Sci-fi / horror fans. It’s on my to-watch list and maybe this list will change because of it.

• Night of the Creeps (1986)
  Another one with alien brain parasites, this one simply fell off the list because I can’t include every horror comedy about zombified people infested with extra-terrestrial slugs.

• Species franchise (1995 – 2007)
  Mentioned here because I am sure someone will try to tell me I’ve forgotten it. I’m afraid I have no time for Sil and her attempts to mate, sorry.

• The Blob films (1958 – 1988)
  Just missing a place on the list, The Blob is a terrifying all-consuming entity. My favourite version of this story, however, is RL Stine’s Goosebumps tale The Blob That Ate Everyone which is unfortunately not a Blob from outer space, rather one created by a lightning charged typewriter and the imagination of a young author. 

• The Colour Out of Space (2010 & 2019)
  Lovecraftian terror never seems to land right for me on-screen, I prefer to read the original stories and let my imagination run wild with fear of the unknown.

• Independence Day (1996)
  Although not really a horror film, this needed to be mentioned because of Jeff Goldblum. That is all.

• Everyone in Doctor Who (1963-present)
  I’m a huge Whovian, and some of the episodes of Doctor Who have scarred me for life. The old school aliens included. But alas, this was a film list. Perhaps one day I’ll write about the true horrors of Who.

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