6 Chilling Movies That Provide an Entirely Different Take on Aliens
Not all alien encounter movies rely on flashy laser beams and evil aliens destroying skyscrapers.
Encountering the extraterrestrial is a theme that has been explored by many science fiction writers.
But all too often it is reduced to evil aliens arriving on Earth and blowing away the little people with their superior technology.
These six movies, however, decided to take a different approach, with some stunning results.
Arrival (2016)
With Denis Villeneuve's symbolic cinematography, this movie has no overused evil alien clichés. Instead, it delivers a compelling story that raises one of the most overlooked questions.
What if alien means of communication are so radically different from human ones? Will we be able to make contact at all?
The twist at the end does not disappoint either.
District 9 (2009)
Even though this movie by Neill Blomkamp takes place mostly after the arrival of the aliens, it still gives an interesting take on an idea: What if aliens visit Earth not to study it/invade it, but simply to seek refuge?
Contact (1997)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on a novel by the legendary Carl Sagan, the story revolves around Dr. Eleanor Arroway, portrayed by Jodie Foster.
She is tasked with deciphering a mysterious transmission from the Vega star system, which leads to some unexpected results.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
An acknowledged classic among sci-fi fans, Steven Spielberg 's film chronicles a series of mysterious events that lead to mankind's first contact with aliens.
It proved at the time that sci-fi movies could be just as popular with the general public as any blockbuster.
Alien (1979)
Now we venture into the horror category, and this Ridley Scott masterpiece easily proves its cult status even decades later.
With the film's suspenseful presentation and unique creature design, it is guaranteed to give you the chills.
This first contact proved to be the last in the lives of many of the characters.
The Thing (1982)
While Alien kept its titular creature mostly in the shadows, this body horror masterpiece from John Carpenter is not afraid to show all the gory details.
When a group of explorers encounter the shape-shifting alien in the ice of Antarctica, it quickly escalates into a tense fight for survival in which no one can be trusted.