In the majority ofsci-fimovies, the extraterrestrials tend to be nefarious or self-centered. Somehow, the strange-looking beings from all other sections of the galaxy find humans to be detestable, so they always attempt to take over Earth or make humankind extinct. Unfortunately, a good number of them normally end up victorious, thanks to their special abilities and superior technology.
However, there are a couple of films where the aliens are friendly. They might not warm up to the entire world, but they are shown to build special bonds with the protagonists, something that makes them very likable. The following sci-fi flicks show how humans and creatures from outer space can coexist peacefully and empower each other.
20Earth to Echo (2014)
Earth to Echopits the cybernetic alien, Echo, and his human friends against malicious individuals that are trying to capture him in order to use him for scientific experiments. The friendship is born when the trio of Alex, Munch, and, Tuck finds Echo in the Nevada desert. The buddies do everything in their power to protect him, and as expected, various obstacles keep emerging along the way.
Away from the hunter-hunted dynamics,Earth to Echohas hilarious dialogue, majorly because Echo only answers yes or no questions. Moreover, audiences are likely to appreciate the camera techniques used in the film. The views switch between handheld cameras, phone cameras, and even the robot’s eyes, making this one of themost impressive found footage moviesever made.
19The Cat from Outer Space (1978)
In most alien movies, the production team goes to great lengths to create special designs for the creatures. Sometimes they look awful, while on other occasions, they are mere copies of what genre loyalists have seen many times before. Well,inThe Cat from Outer Space, director Norman Tokar and his team prove that all the makeup and costume work isn’t necessary. Here, the alien is simply a cat.
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While piloting a flying saucer, the cat named Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 is captured by US government agents who force him to explain his agenda. In captivity, a scientist befriends the alien and persuades him to open up, learning that the feline is searching for a special element to repair his spaceship. To the cat, the element is known as “Org 12” but the scientist realizes that it’s actually ordinary gold. He thus goes behind his superiors’ backs to help him get it.
18The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
There is a much more recent version ofThe Day the Earth Stood Still, but it’s nowhere close to being one of thegreat remakes of classics. Audiences would be advised to watch the original version directed by Robert Wise because it has a better soundtrack, better performances, and most importantly, better dialogue.
Right from the opening sequences, it’s clear that the alien named Kaatu means no harm. His first words are the typical, “I come in peace, and in goodwill,” which he says after the US Army surrounds him. However, it has a special message: Earth needs to stop creating dangerous weapons or else extraterrestrial powers will be forced to intervene. Even though the government remains hostile towards Kaatu and even tries to kill him, he maintains his reasonableness and reminds everyone to keep his words in mind. Additionally, he forms a strong friendship with a widow and her daughter over the course of the movie.
17The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
Adapted from Walter Tevis’s bestselling 1963 novel of the same name,The Man Who Fell to Earthfollows the alien, Thomas, who comes to Earth to harvest water for his drought-stricken planet. Presenting himself as an Englishman, Thomas introduces his home planet’s technological inventions as his own, then patents them, making himself extremely wealthy in the process. With the money, he makes a machine that will enable him to transport water back home.
The Man Who Fell to Earthstars David Bowie, who gives a surprisingly good performance, despite having had little acting experience before taking on the role. His character remains likable throughout the film, going on to strike a strong friendship with a lawyer and fall in love with a woman who introduces him to Earth’s customs. Unfortunately, the government learns of his activities and tries to intervene.
16Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)
Few would have thought that aliens are lustful too until director Tony Garnett decided to close the ‘80s with one of the weirdest alien movies ever. InEarth Girls are Easy, the adventures of three hairy extraterrestrials begin when their ship gets knocked off course because they were busy ogling at a sunbathing woman on Earth. They land on her pool and when she realizes they are friendly, she takes them to her beautician for a full-body shave.
Earth Girls are Easyhas Jim Carrey in the lead, meaning potential viewers can expect all forms of absurdity. The humor majorly stems from the aliens discovering they have very attractive bodies beneath the fur and consequently finding it easy to seduce Earth’s women. Plenty of interesting relationship arcs emerge along the way, and in the climax, the woman that welcomed them even chooses to go with them because she is in love.
15Contact (1997)
When a path to a far point in the galaxy where aliens reside is discovered, office politics takes center stage. Various astronauts assigned to the SETI program, all desire to be selected for the mission, but only one can go. Dr. Ellie Arroway, who discovered the radio signal, is eventually chosen and upon reaching the distant planet, she is welcomed by an alien that looks like her dead father.
Matthew McConaughey stars here as a Christian philosopher that is skeptical about the existence of aliens. He would go on star in a similar project (Christopher Nolan’sInterstellar), years later. Audiences will also appreciate the efforts to make things as realistic as possible, Over the course ofContact,real-world personalities such as Larry King and Jay Leno make appearances.
14Mac and Me (1988)
Of all the things that can cure aliens, Coca-Cola is what audiences would least expect to do the job. Well, there is an obvious case of product placement inMac and Me, but watching the protagonist Eric working hard to get more soda in order to save the dying family of his beloved alien friend MAC (Mysterious Alien Creature) is truly heartwarming.
Events inMac and Mecenter around the titular alien, who had come to Earth with his family in search of subterranean water. While fleeing from government agents, he ends up befriending Eric. Initially, they are hostile to each other because of Mac’s tendency to destroy things, but Eric warms up to him after learning that he can fix things easily. Ultimately, Eric helps him save his dying family
13The Iron Giant (1999)
InThe Iron Giant,the alien is a 50-foot-tall robot that can eat power lines and railroad tracks. The film is adapted from Ted Hughes’ 1968 novel,The Iron Man, but was conveniently renamed to avoid confusion with the Marvel character of the same name.
Interestingly, superhero pop culture references are sprinkled all over the movie. The alien’s 9-year-old friend shows him several comic books as he is teaching him about Earth’s culture and in a scene where he blocks a missile, he declares, “I am Superman!” Besides that, the voice cast is star-studded. The giant is voiced by Vin Diesel, while Jennifer Aniston and Christopher McDonald also have supporting roles.
12Arrival (2016)
There is a strong incentive for movie lovers to watchArrivalas it’s not only directed by Denis Villeneuve but also has a very strong cast that includes Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker, and Jeremy Reiner. Further proof of the film’s quality lies in the fact that it received a whopping eight Oscar nominations, winning one for Best Sound Editing.
Based on Ted Chiang’s 1998 story “Story of Your Life,” Arrival centers around the attempts by various world governments to figure out what the extraterrestrial wants after 12 different ships suddenly appear on the skies of different nations. It’s eventually revealed that the aliens only want to strike a friendly deal, but before audiences learn that, they are taken through a roller-coaster of emotions that make the viewing experience worth it. War is teased on multiple occasions, but it never happens, so the movie heavily relies on dialogue to impress.
11Meatballs Part II (1984)
Meatballs Part IIisn’t primarily an alien movie. It’s more about business rivalry, as it involves attempts by the owner of Camp Sasquatch to prevent the owner of Camp Patton from buying the entire lake for himself. In classic comedy fashion, they agree to solve the dispute via a boxing match. Whoever wins, gets the lake.
The extraterrestrial subplot pops up about halfway through the film as it’s revealed that campers are hiding a young alien that has been dropped on Earth to learn the culture. However, this minor story ends up being the best part of the movie. The alien is shown to be extremely hilarious, constantly, repeating the question, ““Me Ted, who are you?” Interestingly, the campers hear “Meathead” instead of “Meathead,” so they give him that name. When the alien is picked at the end, audiences learn that his name is Mr. Idontwannagotosummercamp, meaning he was forced to come to Earth.
