9 Sci-Fi Movies With Aliens That Are 10/10 Masterpieces

Published Oct 1, 2026, 8:11 PM EDT

Lisa Nordin is an actress, writer, and fan of all things performing arts. Her favorite genres are Sci-Fi and Fantasy. She is a self-published author and enjoys exploring how fictional stories help define and qualify the human experience. 

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Aliens have been a staple of the sci-fi genre for decades. Whether they come in peace or wage war, alien movies are among the most thrilling and thought-provoking contributions to cinema. With unlimited creativity, aliens can be anything their creators dream up, and the scope of creature design over the years has pushed boundaries and encouraged audiences to consider what life could exist on other planets.

Extraterrestrials in movies have a solid history of fandom. From the nightmare-haunting Xenomorphs that continue to be popular in projects, to more approachable entities in kids' films, the nonresidents of Earth are portrayed in all shapes and sizes. When it comes to being iconic, identifiable, and imaginative, these alien designs are the best of the best.

'Alien' (1979)

Image via 20th Century Studios

The events that take place in Alien are chilling enough on their own, but the visuals provided by the art department take the horror to a whole new level. Before Alien, the majority of otherworldly beings were portrayed as humanoid in shape and appearance. This made them more relatable, but still menacing. However, the snarling, grasping, stalking presence and large, formidable frame of the antagonists in Alien were something altogether different and terrifying. They truly looked alien.

The visual effects team of H. R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Brian Johnson, Nick Allder, and Dennis Ayling won an Oscar for their exemplary design, and it is well deserved. Over four decades later, the eerie creature and set design are still powerful enough to elicit goosebumps. Giger's concept art for the film is a masterclass of horror and even more dreadful than images from the movie. The Xenomorphs have left an indelible impact on the genre, and it is impossible to imagine modern sci-fi without them.

'Arrival' (2016)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Another movie that broke the stereotypical alien mold in more ways than one is Arrival. Not only do the visitors come in peace with generous intent, but they look and communicate very differently from their human counterparts. Amy Adams plays the role of Louise Banks, a linguist who is tasked with developing a way to converse with the aliens. It is no small endeavor, and Arrival does an excellent job of highlighting how complex different language models can be.

Arrival is one of the best sci-fi movies of the past decade. It incorporates time travel and other high-concept elements into one overarching story that feels cohesive and captivating. The aliens in Arrival demonstrate intelligence, but also empathy, patience, courage, and understanding. By risking their lives to interact with humans, they aim to foster a relationship that is mutually beneficial for both species.

Image via Universal Pictures

An unlikely group of humans form the core group of protagonists in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Though many movies have focused on how leaders, politicians, and scientists would react to encountering a being from another world, Spielberg's masterpiece focused on kids. In the movie, a young alien gets separated from his spaceship and is taken in by a trio of human siblings who try to keep him hidden from government officials.

Since the alien was going to predominantly interact with children, it needed to look approachable and nonthreatening enough that audiences would believe it could bond with the main characters. The result was spot-on, and E.T. is not entirely cute, nor entirely repulsive; he is strange enough that he doesn't look like a pet, and he is endearing enough that he doesn't look like a threat. The performance for E.T. was a collaboration of human performers and puppeteers. Voiced by Pat Welsh, E.T. had three actors to thank for scenes where he needed to move freely, including Matthew De Meritt, Tamara De Treaux, and Pat Bilon. E.T. remains a fan-favorite film 44 years later, and this month it topped Apple TV viewing charts, ranking among the top 10 most-streamed movies on the platform.

'The Thing' (1982)

Image via Universal Pictures

John Carpenter is a legend when it comes to suspense, and one of his best films is The Thing. The alien in The Thing adds an extra layer of terror because it is a shapeshifter. It can take on the appearance of people and animals, making it a dreaded and deadly assassin. It can get close to its victims, earn their trust, and attack when they least expect it.

The movie's setting on a research base in Antarctica heightens the tension. They are isolated and alone. Having to face such a daunting adversary with no expectation of help is chilling. The use of practical effects makes The Thing as creepy to watch now as it was upon the movie's debut. The Thing combines body horror with psychological suspense and delivers solid scares on all fronts.

Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Star Wars Faction Do You Belong To? Rebels · Empire · Mandalorians · Crimson Dawn

Eight honest questions about how you actually are: how you feel about rules, where your loyalty goes first, what you do when somebody criticises you in front of other people. Answer them and we will tell you whose side you would really have ended up on. Four factions are recruiting: the believers, the organisation, the ones with a code, and the ones with a price.

✊Rebel Alliance(Andor)

🛰️The Empire(Original Trilogy)

🪖Mandalorians(The Mandalorian)

🌅Crimson Dawn(Solo)

PICK YOUR SIDE →

01

How do you feel about rules at work? This one sorts people faster than anything else.

AI break the ones that are clearly wrong. BThey exist for a reason and I follow them. CI follow my own, which are stricter. DRules are a starting position for a negotiation.

NEXT QUESTION →

02

What is your relationship with money? Nobody answers this the way they think they will.

AI get by, and that is genuinely fine. BA steady salary and a clear ladder. CI take exactly what the work is worth. DNever enough, and I know how to get more.

NEXT QUESTION →

03

What makes you respect somebody? Whatever you pick, you apply it to yourself too.

AThat they speak up when it costs them. BThat they are very good at their job. CThat they keep their word without exception. DThat they deliver, whatever it takes.

NEXT QUESTION →

04

How do you behave under real pressure? Your friends would probably answer this for you.

ALoud and improvised, but I get there. BCalmly, and strictly by the book. CQuietly, and one step at a time. DColdly, which people find slightly unnerving.

NEXT QUESTION →

05

Where does your loyalty go first? Everybody has an order, even if they never say it out loud.

ATo the thing I believe in. BTo the organisation that took me on. CTo the people I grew up with. DTo whoever I currently have a deal with.

NEXT QUESTION →

06

Somebody criticises you in front of other people. What happens? Be honest about the first thing you feel.

AI argue back, right there and then. BI take it, then raise it through the proper channel. CI say nothing at all, and I remember it. DI smile, and make them regret it later.

NEXT QUESTION →

07

What does a good life look like in ten years? Pick the one you would actually be happy with.

ASomething I helped change, still standing. BA title, a team and a decent office. CA home, a family and my people safe. DOwning the thing I used to work for.

NEXT QUESTION →

08

What do you want more than anything else? Eight questions in, this is the one that picks your side.

ATo be on the right side of it. BOrder, and a clear place inside it. CTo belong somewhere that would never abandon me. DPower, and nobody above me.

REVEAL MY FACTION →

The Transmission Is Decoded Your Faction Is…

Four sides, four completely different answers to the same question about how a galaxy should work. Here is where you would have signed up, what it would ask of you, and what it would give you back.

Rebel Alliance

You belong with the side that has almost nothing and keeps going anyway. The Rebellion is not a glamorous posting, and anybody who tells you otherwise has not seen what it actually costs the people inside it.

• You are wired to notice when something is wrong and to say so, which makes you useful here and awkward almost everywhere else.
• Andor is the best thing Star Wars has made in years precisely because it shows the unglamorous half, which is the meetings, the paperwork and the people who never get a medal.
• Your kind of courage is the ordinary kind, done repeatedly, by somebody who is fully aware of the odds.
• The Alliance wins because enough people decided separately that they were finished being quiet about it.

The Galactic Empire

You belong to the machine, and the uncomfortable truth is that the machine mostly runs on people who are competent, orderly and convinced they are doing their job properly. Very few of them think of themselves as villains.

• You want structure, clear expectations and a way to measure whether you are doing well, none of which the other three factions can offer you.
• The Empire is frightening because of how ordinary it is on the inside, which is the single smartest thing Star Wars has ever done with it.
• Your risk is the quiet one, which is looking at something wrong and deciding it is somebody else's department.
• You would be genuinely good at this, and that is exactly the part worth thinking about.

The Mandalorians

You belong to the people who lost their planet and kept their code anyway. Mandalorian culture is not a nationality so much as a promise, and anybody who makes that promise and keeps it is one of them.

• You are loyal to people rather than to institutions, which is why an organisation chart has never once told you who you actually owe.
• A code only counts when it costs you something, and you are the sort of person who would pay rather than bend it.
• Mandalorians spend the whole saga arguing about what being one even means, and that argument is far more interesting than the armour.
• The Mandalorian and Grogu took the creed to cinemas over Memorial Day 2026, the first Star Wars film in seven years.

Crimson Dawn

You belong to the syndicate, where nobody wastes your time pretending the galaxy runs on ideals. Crimson Dawn deals in leverage, and it is the only faction on this list that would tell you so to your face.

• You read a room for who owes what, and you are usually right, which is a talent that makes people slightly wary of you.
• Qi'ra is the most interesting thing to come out of Solo, because she is the one character who learned the actual lesson about power.
• You would rather be the person setting the terms than the person being told what the terms are.
• The catch is simple enough. In a syndicate, everybody is leverage, including you, and the smart ones never forget that part.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

'Predator' (1987)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Many alien movies have intergalactic travelers who come for an important purpose: research, conquest, diplomacy. In John McTiernan's Predator, they come for sport. Unfortunately for the heroes of the movie, that sport is hunting human beings and carrying home their skulls as trophies. Predator gave the world of cinema a formidable foe. In addition to being muscular, athletic, and nimble, The Predator is cunning, can camouflage, and has heat vision technology.

The Predator went through a major redesign and recast while filming. Originally, Jean-Claude Van Damme was cast as The Predator, but he soon learned that it was going to be creature work under a full-body suit and mask and not the martial-arts role he had believed it to be. Kevin Peter Hall was brought into the film, and his previous work in large bodysuits, as in Harry and the Hendersons, made him an ideal choice.

The face design of The Predator underwent a major transformation as well. Originally, the mask was more generic-looking, and it lacked any real menacing or emotive quality. Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended Stan Winston, whom he had worked with on The Terminator, and Winston’s understanding that The Predator needed to be a real presence and believable character changed everything. The rest, as they say, is history, and The Predator is still a popular and in-demand character for projects today.

'Avatar' (2009)

Writer and director James Cameron had meaningful messages he wanted to convey in Avatar. To achieve this and to connect with the audience on a personal level, the character design of the Na'vi had to be flawless. There is an effect that happens in visuals called the uncanny valley. This is when a creature or character looks too human to be other, but too distorted to be pleasing. This disproportionate merging of aesthetics can create feelings of displeasure, discomfort, or even dread within the viewer. Cameron was aware of this dilemma and worked hard to ensure that the characters in Avatar did not fall into this category, and he succeeded to a tremendous extent.

Avatar is one of the most visually gorgeous movies ever made. It pushed the boundaries for 3D, motion capture, and many other animation techniques. The Na'vi are brilliant in their design in that they look close enough to humans that audiences accept the storyline that their DNA could be spliced with participants to create the bio-hybrid Avatars. The Na'vi were rendered beautifully on film and made for captivating characters that audiences could rally behind and empathize with.

'Project Hail Mary' (2026)

Image via Amazon MGM Studios

The smash hit of 2026 proved that aliens aren't always squishy or slimy. In Project Hail Mary, a reluctant space traveler named Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is quite literally Earth's last hope for survival. On his mission, he encounters an alien he dubs “Rocky” (James Ortiz). While Rocky and Ryland share the same mission, there are communication barriers that they must overcome. Watching the two species interact and work together to achieve a dialogue is sublime, and the movie portrays these scenes with a great deal of humor and heart.

Project Hail Mary unexpectedly evolves into a story about a touching and significant human-alien friendship. Rocky and Ryland both risk their lives for each other, and neither of their species would have been saved if they had not learned how to work together. Rocky's species design is creative, unique, and interesting. The sentient, brave, and persistent pebble from another world won audiences over and became an instant fan-favorite. Rocky is undoubtedly a 10/10 and deserves all his flowers.

'Lilo & Stitch' (2002)

Image via Walt Disney Animation

An alien movie with a whole lot of love, Lilo & Stitch features a familial bond that spans species and galaxies. Unlike E.T., where the alien is relatively docile and well-behaved, Stitch (Chris Sanders) is a whirlwind of chaos. The little blue creature travels to Earth after escaping captivity, and the tiny fugitive begins disrupting the delicate balance of everyday life that sisters Nani (Tia Carrere) and Lilo (Daveigh Chase) are trying to maintain after their parents' death.

Lilo & Stitch has strong themes of family, friendship, and loyalty. Although Stitch is not the easiest addition to their group, he is loved and accepted all the same. Finding a family and a place to belong is essential for Stitch because he is the byproduct of a scientific experiment. With the clinical label of "Experiment 626" and having no real purpose or bond with anyone, it is meaningful for him to feel wanted by his human family. Stitch is a fun species design because he can morph and alter his appearance, making him highly adaptable. Stitch comes with an array of special abilities, but his capacity to care for Lilo and Nani is his most significant.

'Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi' (1983)

Image via 20th Century Studios

The epic Star Wars movie saga has given this galaxy some truly fascinating alien species to think about. Some of the best are found in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. This movie has the classic species that audiences recognized from the other films, like Yoda (Frank Oz), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), Jabba the Hutt (Larry Ward), and Jawas, and it introduced even more, including the teddy bear-esque Ewoks.

Return of the Jedi sees many characters realizing their full potential, and Princess Leia's (Carrie Fisher) are some of the best. In Return of the Jedi, viewers get to see her diplomatic side as she befriends the Ewoks and earns their trust. The furry and forest-dwelling creatures are courageous and cuddly-looking and a fan-favorite for many. They are also unique because of their short stature. Proving that heroes come in all shapes and sizes, the Ewok warriors become crucial allies and help the Rebel Alliance gain a pivotal victory. The Ewoks have inspired several spin-off series and made for TV movies and steal every scene they’re in, which is a hallmark of true Hollywood legends. Almost every sci-fi movie made since Star Wars owes it something, and the quantity, quality, and variety of aliens it introduced remain influential. When it comes to a movie that ignited imaginations of how vast and varied extraterrestrial life could be, Star Wars is the OG.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

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  Luke Skywalker

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  Han Solo