12 Alien Movies That Made The ’80s A Sci-Fi Playground
The 1980s treated science fiction like a limitless playground, and alien movies helped lead the charge.
Practical effects, bold creature designs, and high-concept storytelling turned theaters into portals for wonder, fear, and everything in between.
Some films leaned into cosmic terror, others embraced adventure and comedy, yet all of them tapped into the decade’s obsession with the unknown.
1. Flash Gordon (1980)
Football quarterback Flash Gordon gets swept into an intergalactic adventure filled with campy costumes, wild special effects, and a soundtrack by Queen.
Ming the Merciless threatens Earth, forcing our hero to rally alien allies from different kingdoms.
Pure Saturday morning cartoon energy radiates from every colorful frame of this cult classic.
If you love over-the-top villains and cheesy one-liners, this space opera delivers entertainment that never takes itself too seriously.
2. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Right out of the gate, 1980 delivered a sequel that somehow topped the original Star Wars magic.
Luke Skywalker trains with a mysterious green alien named Yoda while Han Solo and Princess Leia dodge Imperial forces across the galaxy.
Though technically the second chapter, this film proved that space adventures could be darker and more complex.
3. The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter’s masterpiece trapped a research team in Antarctica with a shape-shifting alien that could imitate anyone perfectly.
Paranoia becomes the real enemy as trust evaporates and nobody knows who’s still human.
Rob Bottin’s groundbreaking practical effects created transformations so grotesque they still disturb viewers decades later.
Kurt Russell leads an ensemble cast through mounting tension that builds to one of horror cinema’s most ambiguous endings, keeping fans debating to this day.
4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Captain Kirk faces his greatest enemy when genetically-enhanced superman Khan escapes exile seeking revenge.
Space battles, submarine-style tactics, and genuine emotional stakes elevated Star Trek beyond television roots into cinematic excellence.
Ricardo Montalban chewed scenery magnificently as the vengeful villain obsessed with destroying Kirk at any cost.
5. Enemy Mine (1985)
When human pilot Dennis Quaid crashes on a hostile planet alongside his alien enemy, survival demands cooperation.
Slowly, bitter adversaries become unlikely friends, learning to respect their differences despite a galaxy-spanning war.
This thoughtful sci-fi drama tackled prejudice and understanding through the lens of interspecies friendship.
6. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Steven Spielberg melted hearts worldwide with the story of Elliott, a lonely boy who discovers a stranded alien hiding in his backyard shed. Their friendship transcends language barriers, proving connection matters more than appearance.
Bicycle silhouettes against the moon became instantly iconic as kids helped E.T. escape government agents.
Grab your tissues because the goodbye scene at the spaceship still makes grown adults cry, cementing this film as the ultimate feel-good alien adventure.
7. Lifeforce (1985)
Space vampires invade London after astronauts discover them in Halley’s Comet, because the 80s loved combining genres in delightfully bonkers ways.
Energy-draining aliens possess humans, creating zombie-like victims across England.
Director Tobe Hooper brought his horror expertise to this wild blend of science fiction and Gothic terror.
Outrageous special effects and a truly bizarre plot make this cult favorite impossible to forget, even if you’re not entirely sure what you just watched.
8. Aliens (1986)
James Cameron transformed horror into action when Ellen Ripley returned to the nightmare planet with a squad of Colonial Marines.
Instead of one alien lurking in shadows, hundreds of xenomorphs swarm through a terraforming colony.
Sigourney Weaver earned an Oscar nomination for portraying Ripley’s fierce maternal instincts protecting young survivor Newt.
Pulse rifles, power loaders, and quotable one-liners made this sequel a different beast entirely, proving sci-fi action could be smart and thrilling simultaneously.
9. Critters (1986)
Ravenous alien furballs with endless appetites escape intergalactic prison and crash-land on a Kansas farm, turning rural America into their personal buffet.
Part horror, part comedy, this creature feature embraced B-movie charm with practical puppetry that brought the toothy aliens to life.
Multiple sequels spawned from this cult classic that proved small-town settings could host big extraterrestrial problems with plenty of dark humor.
10. Predator (1987)
Arnold Schwarzenegger leads elite commandos into Central American jungles for a rescue mission that becomes a nightmare when an invisible hunter starts picking them off.
Stan Winston designed the dreadlocked extraterrestrial warrior that became instantly iconic in sci-fi cinema.
Muscular action heroes suddenly seemed vulnerable against a creature hunting humans for sport, flipping the script on who’s truly dangerous in the galaxy’s food chain.
11. Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Twelve-year-old David vanishes into the woods only to reappear eight years later without aging a single day.
His brain contains star charts that connect him to a mysterious alien spacecraft capable of incredible speeds.
Kids everywhere envied David’s adventure piloting a living ship voiced by Paul Reubens through space and time.
12. They Live (1988)
Rowdy Roddy Piper discovers special sunglasses revealing aliens secretly controlling humanity through subliminal messages hidden in advertising and media.
John Carpenter delivered biting social commentary wrapped in science fiction action, critiquing consumerism and conformity with satirical brilliance.
An extended alley fight scene became legendary among fans, proving sometimes the best way to convince your friend about alien conspiracies involves serious fisticuffs.
