Perhaps it reflects the declining influence of The X-Files, but UFOs, aliens and crop circles no longer take up enormous space in the cultural consciousness – at least not in the same way they did 15 or 20 years ago. So, it makes sense that we instead have World UFO Day, an annual reminder that space continues to hold infinite mystery and serve as a source of endless inspiration for many of our most inventive filmmakers.
But if you don’t want to continue watching the skies, there’s always the option to keep watching the TV – preferably tuned to one of the many sci-fi classics that have sourced drama, terror and, in some more niche cases, strange arousal out of alien creatures tumbling to earth.
The sheer volume of possible contenders for a top 10 meant that some classics inevitably had to be left off, along with alien-adjacent masterpieces that have far too much on their minds to be entirely summed up as “alien movies”. Therefore, the likes of Starship Troopers, Repo Man or Spice World: The Movie just couldn’t be squeezed in.
Scroll through the gallery below to find our pick of 10 classic alien movies
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