10 of the best alien films on Netflix

If aliens ever did decide to pay our humble planet a visit, what form would they come in?

Would they be adorable little blue monsters with glow-in-the-dark paws, or gelatinous giants hellbent on our swift destruction?

It’s impossible to know for certain, given the few real-world glimmers that sadly never turn out to be aliens, but the films below paint a whole host of different scenarios — from the creepy horror of Killer Klowns from Outer Space to the family-friendly antics of We Can Be Heroes. 

Here are some of the best alien films to stream on Netflix…

1. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Has Shaun the Sheep ever been in a bad movie? Not that we can think of. Nick Park’s cheery, claymation Wallace and Gromit spinoff has been a family favourite for years, and Farmageddon — a movie which sees Shaun befriending a colourful alien that lands in the woods near his farm — is absolutely no exception. Like all Aardman Animations, this one’s all about the little details; practically every frame is lovingly crafted, packed full of tiny jokes that beg for a second viewing, and the story zips along faster than a speeding spaceship. -Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

Where to watch: Netflix

2. Beyond Skyline

Some days you might want to watch a thoughtful deep-dive into the bigger existential questions surrounding life and the universe as we know it. Others, you might just want to watch a martial arts expert kicking the crap out of an alien. When it comes to the latter, Beyond Skyline certainly delivers. Liam O’Donnell’s action adventure is sci-fi at its silliest, a fast-paced thrill-fest about a father/son team fighting back against an alien invasion that breaks pretty much every story-telling rule without so much as a second glance. Luckily, the premise is fun, the action is packed, and the fight sequences are always entertaining. A good one to watch with a group of friends and some beers (don’t worry too much if you haven’t seen the 2010 film Skyline, either — although this one’s technically a sequel, it’s a separate story with its own characters). -S.H.

Where to watch: Netflix

3. Doom

Image: Di Bonaventura/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock

You get pretty much exactly what you expect with Doom: a popcorn-munching testosterone storm that’s loaded with guns, gore, and lines of dialogue like, “Let’s see if we can find the body that goes with that arm.” In short, it’s very silly, very messy fun that’s a fitting tribute to the video game series on which it’s loosely based. The plot sees Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson leading a squad of Marines through a portal to a research facility on Mars that appears to have been overrun by something nasty. Come for the tension and the jumps, stay for the awesome POV section towards the end that’s a direct homage to the film’s first-person shooter roots.* -S.H.

Where to watch:

4. Extinction

Image: Aleksandar Letic / Netflix

If there’s one thing we should have learned by now it’s that when a character is being plagued by apocalyptic dreams, it’s always better to pay attention to what they’re seeing. That’s the starting point for Ben Young’s fast-paced sci-fi thriller, which sees a father’s alien invasion nightmares suddenly become a horrible reality. This one hurtles along at a break-neck pace, but there’s the nagging hint in the background that everything might not be quite what it seems — and the direction the story ultimately swings in is not one you’ll see coming. -S.H.

Where to watch: Netflix

5. Jupiter Ascending

Image: Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Kobal/Shutterstock

Written and directed by the Wachowskis, Jupiter Ascending is a lavish space opera following an unassuming housecleaner (Mila Kunis) who discovers she’s the heir to an intergalactic dynasty, and that the fate of the universe therefore rests in her hands.

What follows is an unrestrained fantasy that combines soaring action and swooning romance with the sheer WTFery of, say, Channing Tatum as a wolf-man warrior on space rollerblades or a swarm of bees that can recognize royalty. Check your rational thinking at the door and . And if you’re in the mood for still more Wachowski weirdness after this, and the series are both on the service as well.* — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor

Where to watch:

6. Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Image: Trans World / Sarlui / Diamant / Chiodo Brothers Prods / Kobal / Shutterstock

Killer Klowns from Outer Space is peak 1980s schlocky sci-fi horror, cut from the same cloth as classics (or “classics,” if you prefer) like Critters or Howard the Duck. The title pretty much says it all: Earth has been invaded by aliens, and those aliens just happen to look like weirdly proportioned clowns, like what you’d get if you put a goblin in pancake makeup.

You probably aren’t familiar with any of the actors or filmmakers (though the Chiodo Brothers who made the movie have ). It doesn’t matter, though. Killer Klowns isn’t good, but that’s what’s so great about it.* –Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter

Where to watch: Netflix

7. Rim of the World

Yes, OK, so the Rotten Tomatoes score on this one leaves a fair bit to be desired — but try not to let that put you off too much. If you don’t mind a bit of cheese and a cliché or two, McG’s Rim of the World is still an entertaining adventure that channels the vibes of Stranger Things and early ’80s Steven Spielberg. The story sees a group of summer camp kids getting left behind after a sudden alien invasion sees their fellow campers evacuating without them — but when they come into possession of a special key, they realise they may be the only ones who can save the world from its pesky new invaders. It may not be the most original tale in the world, but the action is fast, the special effects are fun, and the young cast (complete with a cameo from To All the Boys I’ve Loved star Andrew Bachelor) are on great form throughout. -S.H.

Where to watch: Netflix

8. Time Trap

So, you’ve got a creepy cave out in the middle of nowhere that’s been the site of not one, but two disappearances. What’s your best move? Pack all your friends into a truck and get out there to start exploring, of course! Mark Dennis and Ben Foster’s sci-fi adventure Time Trap may contain a cliché or two, but it’s ultimately a really fun film with an awesome time-bending idea at its warped core. Does the whole thing go a little off the rails about two thirds in? Absolutely. But it gets away with it, and the sillier parts are worth it for just how damn fun the story is. -S.H.

Where to watch: Netflix

9. We Can Be Heroes

Image: Ryan Green / NETFLIX

Alien films don’t have to be filled with gore or existential dread. Robert Rodriguez’ We Can Be Heroes mashes spaceships and tentacles with silly superpowers, pitting the kids of a group of heroes against an alien invasion after their parents get captured by the marauding extraterrestrials. YaYa Gosselin stars as the group’s no-nonsense leader Missy Moreno, while Priyanka Chopra has an entertaining supporting role as strict superhero commander-in-chief Ms. Granada. The powers the kids have all seem fairly ridiculous initially, but the movie does an entertaining job of utilising each and every one of them — and there are plenty of unexpected twists along the way. -S.H.

Where to watch: Netflix

10. Zathura

Image: Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock

Pretty much everybody has heard of Jumanji, the 1995 Robin Williams movie about the board game that’s far too interactive for its own good. But fewer people will have heard of the sequel. Directed by Jon Favreau and adapted from a children’s story by Jumanji author Chris Van Allsburg, Zathura is a 2005 movie about two kids that — you guessed it — stumble across a dusty old board game with some fairly intense gameplay elements. This time, instead of the jungle, we’re off to space, with the kids’ entire house being transported into the middle of a swirling robot-and-alien-filled galaxy. For a 2005 movie the effects are awesome, while the young cast — including a pre-Hunger Games Josh Hutcherson and a pre-Twilight Kristen Stewart — do an excellent job of carrying the action. Dax Shepherd also gets a fun cameo as an astronaut, and a certain group of lizard-like aliens are entertainingly monstrous. -S.H.

Where to watch: Netflix

*These show writeups also appeared on previous Mashable lists for the best sci-fi films on Netflix to escape reality and the best monster films on Netflix.

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