Awesome Alien Movies To Stream On Netflix Today
We all remember the classic extraterrestrial movies: E.T. (1982), Predator (1987), The Thing (1982), among many others that defined the genre—but what about those movies in today's world that are dominated by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime? Let's check out some of the best alien movies to stream on Netflix today.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
After giving us the eponymous line of "I'll be back," Arnold Schwarzenegger did indeed return for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Linda Hamilton goes from being the damsel-in-distress to the certified hero of the film and puts Schwarzenegger firmly in the "good guy" seat, despite being somewhat the villain of the first Terminator movie (1984). Schwarzenegger plays the protector of John Connor in this sequel, as one Terminator faces off against another in the second title of the classic series.
Carolco Pictures, Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991)
Annihilation
This one follows a group of women who are in charge of a post-meteor strike planet, wherein our protagonist Lena (Natalie Portman) must uncover what happened to her husband inside Area X, an area filled with natural beauty—and hidden dangers.
Paramount, Annihilation (2018)
Godzilla: Minus One
The 37th film in the Godzilla franchise, Godzilla: Minus One (2023), sees a post-WWII fighter pilot attempting to deal with the stresses of returning to Japan after the conflict, with post-traumatic stress disorder, while having to contend with the emergence (once again) of Godzilla.
In a rare moment where we're rooting for Godzilla to finally be defeated, Godzilla: Minus One is an alien movie not to be missed.
Toho Studios, Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Alien: Romulus' Resurrection Controversy
When Alien: Romulus was released this year, it was immensely popular among fans of the franchise, who had been waiting seven years for a new film, since Alien: Covenant in 2017. But it wasn't without controversy—Alien: Romulus used artificial intelligence to bring back an actor from the 1979 original: Ian Holm.
The problem was that Ian Holm had died in 2020. Audiences around the world were stunned—the accuracy with which AI recreated Holm caused some audience members to believe they were watching him in real life. Other people raised ethical concerns about using AI to digitally resurrect dead actors.
Twentieth Century, Alien: Romulus (2024)
Starship Troopers
Ah, the 1990s classic space cadet on steroids movie that can have you enthralled one minute and laughing at its silliness the next. Totally goofy at times, but equally engrossing, Starship Troopers tells the story of space commandos serving in the United Citizen Federation, at a time when Earth is at war with aliens from outer space.
Starship Troopers is always a good watch if you just want some popcorn-eating movie that doesn't require you to think too much.
TriStar, Starship Troopers (1997)
Rim Of The World
Think of Red Dawn (1984), but set in the future under threat of an alien invasion and you'll basically have the plot to Rim Of The World (2019). This teen-versus-aliens drama sees a group of misfit teenagers suddenly under threat of alien invasion and equipped with just a key, their wits, and their comradery as their weapons against an invading alien force. Will they be able to stop the impending disaster in time?
Netflix, Rim of the World (2019)
Night Raiders
Set in a dystopian North America, Night Raiders (2021) follows a Cree mother as she attempts to rescue her children from a state-run institution in a not-too-distant North America of 2044. Can this underground band of vigilantes overthrow an all-powerful space-faring government, or will her daughter be lost forever?
Alcina Pictures, Night Raiders (2021)
Star Trek
The Star Trek universe was set alight in 2009 as JJ Abrams directed Star Trek, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, and Chris Hemsworth. This reboot of The Original Series (1966) sees James T Kirk and company taking on vengeful Romulan Commander, Nero (Eric Bana), and has set itself apart as being the first in a new series of rebooted films and TV shows that reinvigorated the Star Trek universe.
Beyond Skyline
This 2017 thriller is still on Netflix and is still one of the finest alien flicks to be found. It follows a former LAPD officer, Mark Corley (Frank Grillo), during an alien invasion of Los Angeles, as he must work to rescue as many Angelinos as he can from an impending alien abduction. Corley joins forces with other citizens, working to free his son and others from the clutches of the invading horde.
Head Gear Films, Beyond Skyline (2017)
I Am Mother
Located far, far away from a failing Earth on an alien base is "Mother", a nameless robot played by Hillary Swank, who's raising "Daughter"—another nameless figure trying to provide new hope to a failing human race. However, all that Daughter knows is thrown into question when another human arrives on the base, ending her isolation and shaking her foundations to their core.
The Penguin Empire, I Am Mother (2019)
Dune Left It's Mark On David Lynch
No, not the Denis Villeneuve version, but the 1984 version directed by David Lynch. Even if you've seen the Denis Villeneuve version, you're still likely to be impressed by the visual effects and storytelling in Lynch's retelling of the classic Dune book series by Frank Herbert.
Directing Dune left such a scar on David Lynch that he refuses to discuss the movie in interviews, touting working on it as one of the worst decisions of his filmmaking career. Ouch. Poor 1984 Dune.
Have you streamed any of these alien-centric classics yet? What do you think of the controversy surrounding Ian Holm's artificial recreation in Romulus? Head to the comments section and let us know!
