5 Best Alien Invasion Movies Of All Time, Ranked

It's a big universe out there, and while we're all for exploring it, a specific subgenre of science fiction movies has hinted that it might be a bad idea. Alien invasion movies have come in droves over the years, making us fearful of what lies out there in the great unknown. Some have included sneak attacks by intergalactic intruders, while other aliens haven't hesitated to make themselves known and shoot us with their high-powered ray guns. Now — after a detailed assessment that thankfully didn't include anyone being abducted and probed in a questionable fashion — we've put together a list of the best alien invasion movies worth your time.

From secret high school infiltrations to going big (or going back to their home planet), we've ranked five of the best alien invasion movies. These films show all kinds of aliens doing what they can to invade our little blue marble. Some extraterrestrials have been victorious; others have headed back to where they came from, their tentacles between their legs. Most importantly, though, they've shown us just how insignificant we are in the universe — and that fighting amongst ourselves isn't what we should be doing. Instead, we should be sending heroes off-world to tear the big-eyed freaks a new one, or, in some cases, leaving high-school dropouts to save the day.

"If you were going to take over the world, would you blow up the White House 'Independence Day' style, or sneak in through the back door?" "The Faculty" did for alien invasions what "Scream" did for slashers, yet it received nowhere near the attention it deserved. It's an impressively sharp alien invasion movie that splices the DNA of "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" with "The Breakfast Club." Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, and Jordana Brewster are among the troubled teens who discover that extraterrestrial earworms have taken over their high school's teaching staff. From there, a fight for survival ensues as the geek, the jock, the princess, the criminal, and the basket case unite to ensure that school (and humanity) aren't out forever.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez, who had already taken the vampire genre and spun it on its fanged head with "From Dusk Till Dawn," "The Faculty" is a massively overlooked yet wonderfully witty flick. More importantly, it delivers on the dread and terror of an otherworldly presence on the attack, thanks to the equally eclectic teaching staff. Famke Janssen goes from timid flower to intimidating educator, and Robert Patrick taps into his stint as the T-1000 from "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" to bring his coach character onto the field. "The Faculty" offers an entertaining and occasionally unsettling take on the extraterrestrial infiltration blueprint.

It's a bit of a rule-breaker on this list, but it's just as entertaining as the others it's lined up with. The alien invasion in Neill Blomkamp's "District 9" has come and gone in this story, with all the attention focused on how the planet deals with the aftermath. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, the found-footage movie follows Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a pencil-pushing, clipboard-wielding employee of the MNU Department of Alien Affairs. Treating these otherworldly visitors like low-level immigrants living in squalor, Merwe is forced to team up with one of the local "prawns" after he's infected with an alien toxin that ostracizes him from his family — and the company he was initially employed by.

With a sci-fi-infused lens zeroed in on immigration and social status, "District 9" feels like one of the most realistic alien invasion movies due to how the visitors to Earth are treated. Members of the insect-like race, who haven't left Earth for decades, are treated as a nuisance that many wish to be rid of, rather than shown basic humanity (or its off-world equivalent). It's this lesson that's brilliantly delivered thanks to Copley's performance, fueled by a fleshed-out universe packed with worn but wonderfully realistic tech pieces, including mech suits and head-popping weaponry. Watch it and mourn the Blomkamp-directed "Halo" movie we never got.

"The Faculty" might've made jokes out of it, but there's no question that when it comes to alien invasions, Roland Emmerich's White House-wrecking blockbuster, "Independence Day," stands among the greats. Arriving in Earth's atmosphere and ruining the titular holiday for Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman, this 1996 sci-fi action gem has so many standout moments that, while a tad dated, still make for a great watch.

Unlike the other entrants on this list, the space invaders from Emmerich's 1996 movie aren't about secret infiltration or considering friendly conversation. Instead, they tear through the skyline like frisbees of doom, turning famous American landmarks to dust. The little green men themselves are sparingly used, just enough to give audiences the willies when they speak through Brent Spiner's kooky Area 51 scientist. Instead, attention is given to Smith in a career-defining role, as well as Goldblum, Pullman, and the brilliantly crazed Randy Quaid as an abductee who got away.

The franchise would be revisited in 2016 with "Independence Day: Resurgence," but it couldn't compete with the original — and the distinct lack of Smith. Why would it? As far as space-based blockbusters go, the original "Welcome to Earth" is still one of the greats.

Before Denis Villeneuve sent us to the sandworm-riddled planet of Arrakis with the "Dune" movies, he brought massive monsters to Earth in his fascinating sci-fi alien invasion movie "Arrival." Based on the 1998 novella "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, the film stars Amy Adams as a linguist tasked with making first contact with squid-like aliens to ensure they don't blow the planet to heck.

By cutting back on laser beams and the body horror that often accompany the genre's outings, the "heptapods" of "Arrival" are mysterious creatures focused on teaching the world a lesson while still giving our heroes a scare. The film doesn't rely on shape-shifting beasties to raise the stakes. Villeneuve masterfully presents an alien race that is just as curious as we are, where the most dangerous threat is our own breakdown in conversation.

Members of the specific species shown in this film exhibit incredible creature designs by Carlos Haunte, who depicts the intrigued aliens splattering their messages on glass for Adams and Jeremy Renner (cast as Ian Donnelly) to decipher. As a result, these communiques have become staple images for the genre they contributed so brilliantly to. Ultimately, "Arrival" is a film with so much to say, where every word is invaluable — part of what makes it the best alien invasion of the last decade.

Besides being an exceptional remake of the original 1956 film, Philip Kaufman's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is one of the most frightening alien invasion entries on this list. Brooke Adams plays an alarmed lab technician who begins to question whether her husband is really her husband, turning to her health inspector friend, Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), for a second opinion to ensure she isn't going crazy. The good news is, she isn't. The bad news: Her husband is one among many who are slowly succumbing to an army of growing pod people aiming to take over the world.

Feeling more like a zombie film than an alien invasion, Kaufman's chilling take on the 1955 novel "The Body Snatchers" remains an unnerving watch even now. Dutch angles and lingering shots of people who may or may not have lost themselves to an alien presence fuel paranoia that brews quickly.

Trust quickly begins to wane among the characters thanks to the brilliant performances of Sutherland, Adams, a young Jeff Goldblum, and an always-on-edge Veronica Cartwright. Not even Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy, can be believed as the pods begin to multiply — and the uncertainty of humanity's persistence intensifies. This entry keeps you on edge right up until that haunting moment when Sutherland screams at the camera — a nightmare that's always worth returning to.