15 Movies Where They Didn’t Put Any Effort Into the ‘Aliens’
It’s only natural for us to think about life beyond the stars, wondering if there’s any other form of intelligent beings out there. Assuming they exist, what would they look like? We can imagine all kinds of creatures, and they don’t even need to be symmetrical like most animals on Earth.
And yet, a lot of movies ditch that imagination only to have aliens be just like us, perhaps in slightly different clothing. Granted, that’s a significantly cheaper option, but we want our imaginations to be stimulated. These are just a few movies where the ‘aliens’ leave a lot to be desired.
The Man Who Fell to Earth
David Bowie plays an extraterrestrial named Thomas Jerome Newton who crash-lands on our planet looking for water. His alien character essentially just looks like a stylish human, which makes blending into our society fairly easy for him.
Superman
The famous hero was born on the fictional planet Krypton and sent to Earth in a spaceship. Despite having unassisted flight and other superhuman abilities, this legendary extraterrestrial just looks like a remarkably fit human in a cape.
The Brother from Another Planet
The silent extraterrestrial in this quirky movie looks exactly like a human trying to navigate a new city. His only physical difference is having 3-toed feet, which he makes sure to keep covered in regular shoes all day.
I Am Number Four
The film follows a teenage alien hiding out on Earth while trying to evade other extraterrestrials hunting him down. Both the hero and his dangerous pursuers look exactly like typical young adults walking the halls of high school.
My Stepmother Is an Alien
The film follows Celeste, an extraterrestrial woman played by Kim Basinger, who is sent on a secret mission to Earth. Instead of a bizarre space creature, this alien operative looks exactly like a totally normal, fashionable human being.
Earth Girls Are Easy
This 1988 science fiction musical comedy follows 3 furry aliens who crash their spaceship into a swimming pool. After getting a quick makeover, they look exactly like typical guys, allowing Jeff Goldblum and Jim Carrey to party unnoticed.
Knowing
This 2009 science fiction thriller starring Nicolas Cage involves mysterious figures who show up to observe disasters. These quiet, glowing extraterrestrials spend almost the entire movie looking exactly like pale humans dressed in very normal, everyday trench coats.
Thor
While human history recorded him as a hammer-wielding god of thunder from Norse mythology, he is actually an alien from another realm. This powerful extraterrestrial visitor looks exactly like a very tall, muscular human with great blonde hair.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The cosmic heroes race to save Rocket from his creator, the High Evolutionary, who is a brilliant alien scientist. Despite having advanced technology and living across the universe, this terrifying villain just looks like a regular human man.
Meet Dave
Eddie Murphy stars in this 2008 science fiction comedy about tiny aliens operating a human-shaped spaceship. The crew members look like normal people, and their giant ship is designed to look exactly like a completely ordinary human man.
Village of the Damned
Directed by John Carpenter, this 1995 science fiction horror film features a town where women give birth to alien children. These terrifying extraterrestrial invaders simply look like pale human kids with bright white hair and very intense stares.
Race to Witch Mountain
The plot centers on an ordinary taxi driver tasked with helping two extraterrestrials named Seth and Sara reach their spaceship. Despite their cosmic origins and strange powers, the alien siblings just look like totally average human teenagers traveling.
Lifeforce
Astronauts explore an alien space ship and discover a trio of humanoids in suspended animation. After being brought back to Earth, these space vampires wake up and walk around looking exactly like regular, entirely human men and women.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Extraterrestrials implement a bizarre scheme to resurrect our dead and create an undead army. The space visitors orchestrating this classic disaster look exactly like regular actors wearing incredibly basic human clothes on a famously low budget movie set.
Teenagers from Outer Space
The film features a young alien named Derek and his crew, who seek to eradicate humanity to feed giant livestock. These hostile space travelers simply look like everyday teenagers from the 1950s wearing completely normal jumpsuits and helmets.