Summary
- Alien abduction movies offer an intriguing concept for sci-fi films, even though there is no evidence to support the idea in real life.
- These movies often depict the terror of being taken from one’s natural habitat and can be played as both horror and comedy, sometimes simultaneously.
- From classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind to newer releases like Nope, alien abduction movies continue to captivate audiences with their blend of mystery, wonder, and fear.
No case has ever been proven to be true, but that hasn’t stopped people from obsessing over the idea of alien abductions, resulting in great sci-fi movies about humans being taken by extra-terrestrials. Whether it’s to take resources from human bodies or for scientific experiments, there’s a belief that aliens are motivated to kidnap humans and take them aboard their spaceship. While there is no evidence to support this at all, it makes an excellent concept for a sci-fi movie of any tone.
Not to be confused with rewatchable alien invasion movies like Independence Day, an alien abduction is not when aliens come to Earth and attack, but only when they take humans against their will. Abductions can happen during an invasion, but these films show the terror of being taken out of a natural habitat by an alien force. This premise is perfect for film, as it can be played both as a horror and a comedy and, in rare instances, both.
10
Fire In The Sky (1993)
Directed By Robert Lieberman
Based on the book The Walton Experience, Fire in the Sky depicts Travis Walton’s account of when he claims to have been abducted by aliens in 1975. Walton’s story has been disputed twice over, but that doesn’t stop Fire in the Sky from being an effective work of sci-fi horror. Fire in the Sky‘s abduction sequence is appropriately terrifying through some highly unsettling images that stay with the viewer long after the movie ends. While not the best film overall, Fire in the Sky will always have a spot as a quintessential alien abduction film.
Fire in the Sky is now available to stream on Max.
9
Lifeforce (1985)
Directed By Tobe Hooper
Most depictions of alien abduction have the aliens exploring human bodies for scientific purposes, but Tobe Hooper’s 1985 cult classic Lifeforce shows the aliens as vampire-esque creatures who want human lifeforce. A one-of-a-kind horror movie, Lifeforce is the perfect campy sci-fi movie to throw on late at night for some good old-fashioned cheesy fun. The film stretches its ridiculous premise as far as it can go, crafting an ’80s version of classic ’50s B-movies.
Related
10 Forgotten Sci-Fi Classics That Need A Remake
Just because a sci-fi film fell into obscurity doesn’t mean it wasn’t great—a remake may be just what the classic film needs to get its due credit.
8
Flight Of The Navigator (1986)
Directed By Randal Kleiser
One of the most underrated films Disney has ever produced, Flight of the Navigator, is a surprisingly mature and tense look at alien abduction. The film follows a 12-year-old boy who falls into a ravine, only to wake up eight years later, having not aged a day. The first half of the film slowly develops the mystery and how it relates to a mysterious spaceship, while the film’s second half has the fun and adventure to expect from a Disney family adventure. Flight of the Navigator has an incredible production design and is a pleasant surprise for audiences of all ages.
7
Predators (2010)
Directed By Nimród Antal
The Predator franchise often sees the titular hunter travel to Earth to hunt humans, but the 2010 reboot Predators flipped the switch, with the predators abducting the best killers they can find and placing them on an alien planet. The clever inverse of the premise makes it one of the better movies in the Predator franchise, as the alien environment and disoriented characters only build on the dread of previous installments. Predators smartly blends the abduction movie with a pre-existing franchise to create a fun and stylish update of an ’80s classic.
6
Mars Attacks! (1996)
Directed By Tim Burton
While primarily an alien invasion movie, Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! does have some of the most memorable abduction sequences ever put on film, as the wacky Martians perform all kinds of cartoonish experiments. Sarah Jessica Parker’s head being swapped with that of a dog is one of the best images from the entire film. Like the rest of the movie, Mars Attacks!‘s abduction sequences are so over the top that they become intentionally funny, but there is still an underlying fear and nihilism to the entire production that gives Mars Attacks! a one-of-a-kind tone.
Related
10 Deadliest Cinematic Martian Invaders, Ranked
From virulent bacteria to alien monsters, Mars has a deadly cinematic history of attacking Earth, but which Martian Invaders were the deadliest?
5
War Of The Worlds (2005)
Directed By Steven Speilberg
Existing on the opposite side of the coin from Mars Attacks!, Steven Spielberg’s post-9/11 reimagining of War of the Worlds shows the visual terror of a Martian invasion. The film’s third act becomes a full-blown abduction movie, as Tom Cruise and Dakota Johnson have to escape from a Martian tripod. With some of the scariest and most effective filmmaking in Spielberg’s entire filmography, War of the Worlds is a flawed yet masterful look at national trauma and the fear that comes with it.
4
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Directed By Dean Parisot
A film whose reputation only grows as time goes on, Galaxy Quest is a hilarious satire of Star Trek and the wider sci-fi genre. In a meta-commentary on fan culture, the film follows the washed-up cast of an old sci-fi show, who are abducted by aliens who believe they are the characters they play and enlist them to help fight a galactic threat. Galaxy Quest would work as an exciting space opera, but it is also a charming and satirical look at the genre with an all-star cast and a stand-out performance from Alan Rickman.
3
Under The Skin (2013)
Directed By Jonathan Glazer
Instead of viewing an alien abduction through the eyes of the human, Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin puts the audience in the shoes of an unknowable alien lifeform as she takes men from the streets of Scotland. The film never details what the aliens want with the humans, but the images of bodies in a black void are some of the most terrifying from the 2010s. As haunting as it is touching, there are no films like Under the Skin as it uses its cold distance from the main character to get at something incredibly human and personal.
Under the Skin is now available to stream on Max.
2
Nope (2022)
Directed By Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele took the alien abduction premise and turned it into something much more primal and viral with Nope. The fun of Peele’s film is how the premise is slowly revealed. What first appears to be a standard alien, Nope‘s UFO turns out to be a living organism that can suck up and digest any living creature. Commenting on consumerism and exploitation, Nope is the rare movie that is as smart as it is entertaining. The scene inside the UFO is the scariest Peele has ever been, and Nope is a huge achievement for him as a filmmaker and blockbuster cinema.
1
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Directed By Steven Speilberg
While Spielberg’s War of the Worlds captured the terror of the unknown, Close Encounters of the Third Kind shows the mystery and wonder that comes with it, too. Still as effective as it was nearly half a century ago, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is the movie that all other alien abduction movies are chasing, as no film has as successfully tapped into human’s obsession with the unknown and the mystery of life on other planets. Scary, funny, awe-inspiring, and tragic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is still a magical sci-fi film.
